Will you be there? Will you save me?
by megryan2189
Summary: What if Christian met Ana when they were both 16? What if he isn't the only one who is fifty shades of fucked up? Could he save her? Could she save him? Will they admit their feelings or will they run from them?
1. Chapter I

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook. I'm not sure if I'll continue this story as I'm currently working on two other stories but I'll give it a try. I know 3 stories at once is a lot but due to my ADD and my overactive imagination I'm currently juggling all 3 stories in my head and I need feedback to keep me motivated to write so it's in your hands.

Summary: What if Christian met Ana when they were both 16? What if he isn't the only one who is fifty shades of fucked up? Could he save her? Could she save him?

-CG has already been Elena's sub for about a year now so you have to remember that. Ana has a different past than in the book and no she is not a virgin in this story when she meets Christian. BDSM does have a little to do with this story. Happy ever after will be a long ways away and it will be up and down for CG and Ana.-

-Every other chapter will alternate in POV. We will start with Christian.-

Read and Review, please!

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**Chapter I**

_Life is one big party while your still young,  
but who's gonna have your back when it's all done?  
It's all good when you're little you have pure fun,  
don't be a fool son what about the long run?  
_

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Summer vacation could not have come sooner. I needed to get out of town and away from her. It had been a year since the day I signed that damn paper of Elena Lincoln's. Yes, I wanted help...control. Yes, she is a good fuck and a way to relieve the tension. No, I did not want to be her fucking toy but now I had absolutely no fucking say in it until she let me go. This summer, the next two months, would be different though. I wouldn't have to deal with her. I would spend time with my family and maybe I can even find some decent parties and get drunk. I put my headphones in and turn the music up as I lean back and Mia puts her head on my shoulder and falls asleep. I have missed my little sister. She's the only one who can get this close to me without me flinching away from her, what is it about Mia that's different? _You've been asking yourself that forever Grey. Suck it up there is no answer for that other than 'she's Mia.' _

We arrive at the lake house on the outskirts of Vancouver about 3 hours after leaving the house. Mia is the first out of the car and I watch as she skips towards the dock on the side of the house no doubt to "talk" with Ethan Kavanaugh. I turn off my mp3 player and go to the trunk to help Elliot with the bags.

"Well looks like the Kavanaugh's brought a friend this year."

I look up to where Elliot is gazing and that's when I see **her**. She's absolutely gorgeous even though I'm about a football field away from her. She's shorter than I am and has long beautiful brown hair. I wonder what color her eyes are, they're hidden by a pair of sunglasses I can only assume are from Walmart, not that I care I happen to like Walmart better than most designer stores. She's laying next to Kate and has a book open in front of her while Kate is reading some magazine it looks like. _I have to __know her. _The realization hits me and it takes all my strength not to recoil from the intensity of the pain I know will come from Elena when I return home. _This time Grey you can't get what you want unless you want to hurt her in the end. _I drop my gaze back to the trunk and grab my bag and stomp inside the house. I walk up the stairs and I slam the door to my bedroom and plop face down on my bed.

"CHRISTIAN!"

I hear Mia's high pitched excited yell throughout the house and immediately know that she is planning something for us. She may not be my biological sister but I've known her her entire life and I can tell by her voice when she's got a plan in her mind. "In my room Mia!" I yell back at her and sit up on my bed waiting for her arrival. She doesn't disappoint within minutes she is throwing my door open and bouncing on the end of my bed.

"Okay so there's a carnival that's happening at the lake tonight and Ethan is going." I nod my head not following her plan so far. It's no surprise it involves Ethan Kavanaugh, her crush on the guy is about as apparent as Elliot's fucking crush on Kate Kavanaugh. "The thing is Ethan can't go until late this evening because his sister Kate brought a friend with her and her big brother tagged along, so we'd have to stay out late to hang out at all for it to count. I already asked Elliot and he's being a douche and won't come with me because he wants to hang out with Kate and not stay with me and Ethan all night even though I told him he wouldn't have to and mom and dad said I couldn't go unless-"

"Unless Elliot or I go with you right?" I finish for her and sigh as I figure out her plan. She wants to be able to stay out late so she can flirt with Ethan. Of fucking course Elliot would say no because he doesn't think our 13 year old sister should have any interest in guys yet, I agree to an extent. I don't want her to lose her virginity or anything and I will make damned sure **that**doesn't happen but an innocent summer romance what's the worst that can happen. "Fine I'll go. On one condition."

"What?!" She leans forward and claps her hands together.

I close my eyes and I can see Elena holding that fucking whip about to punish me for what I'm about to say much less think about within the night to come. "You have to find a way to introduce me to Kate's friend she brought with her this year." I open my eyes and raise an eye brow in a challenge to my condition and wait.

She purses her lips and then smiles. "Deal. Thank you Christian!" She hugs me lightly making sure not to touch my chest or my back only my shoulders and then pulls her phone out of her pocket and leaves the room.

I lay back on my bed again and the only thoughts that come to me are of the beautiful brunette that I so badly want to get to know. I've never been the guy who wants to get to know anyone much less a girl. In fact I'm pretty sure my whole family with the exception of Mia thinks I'm gay, which they could keep on thinking if it kept them out of my private life. There was something different about this girl though, fucking crazy that I knew that considering I haven't said one word to her yet but I could sense it. She was different, she was genuine. She's perfect. _Damn it Grey. You can't do this, you have to be in fucking control and you can't bring her into your fucked up life. _My phone buzzes in my pocket snapping me out of my reverie and I wish like hell I could ignore it but I know I can't.

_**I hope you're having fun on your vacation. Don't do anything stupid Christian. -E**_

Damn it. _**Wouldn't think of it Ma'am**__**. -C **_

Now if only she will leave me the hell alone for two months. At least this time she didn't mention anything about surprising me with a visit to the family, I hate it when she does that. She always says she doesn't want to impose but she always fucking does. I groan again when my phone buzzes but then smile when I see that it's Mia.

_**Wear something nice to dinner big bro. We are having visitors. You will get to meet the girl and her big brother who is really cool because I talked to him a minute ago when I went over to invite them all. -Mia**_

Well Mia doesn't disappoint, it's only been about 20 minutes and she's already made dinner plans. Now what to wear when you meet a beautiful stranger. After thinking about it for a few moments I decide on nothing too fancy just a pair of jeans and a navy blue button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows and a pair of chuck taylors. After getting dressed I walk downstairs and silently help my mom finish preparing the quick dinner that she no doubt had to expand for more people, because she like myself couldn't say no to Mia. Speak of the devil she was in the dining room placing the plates and silverware on the table and by the look on her face she was plotting out where everyone would sit. Damn girl had to plan everything, she's definitely a Grey. I go to join her in the dining room and I sit the salad at the center of the table.

"So where am I sitting Mia?"

She smirks at me and points to a chair on her right. "You're sitting here and then I'm sitting there on your left while Anastasia, Kate's friend, can sit here on your right. You're welcome big brother! Now sit they should be here soon. Elliot went to get them."

I do as she says and sits down at the same time she does. _Anastasia._ I repeat the name over and over it's beautiful. I barely notice my mom and dad come in and sit down one at each end of the table. I do look up when Elliot opens the front door and shows them into the dining room. Ethan automatically comes and sits next to Mia on the other side while Elliot takes his seat across from me and holds a chair out for Kate as he starts the introductions.

"Anastasia, Christopher, this is my mom, my dad, my little brother Christian, and you know Mia." He points at each of us and Mia smiles and waves at them.

Mom stands as does dad and goes to shake their hands. "It's so nice to meet you. Please sit down."

I wait for Anastasia to come sit next to me but instead Kate scoots to the chair across from me and motions for Anastasia to sit next to her while Elliot takes the seat next to my mom. _Great. I get to sit by her brother._ Well it's better than nothing. He sits next to me and I shake his hand just to be nice. We start eating in silence and I swear I can feel the tension in the room.

"So Kate, how do you know Anastasia?" I look up at her as I ask my question.

Belatedly I realize that in the 4 years I've known her I've never once talked to her. Her eyes widen in shock but she quickly recovers. "We've been friends for a while but we're closer now since she's moving back to Seattle. She'll actually be going to school with us next year."

I nod and turn to Anastasia. "So you've lived in Seattle before?" She looks at me briefly and nods her head then drops her gaze back to her food. "Well I can guarantee you'll like the library, they have almost every book from Wuthering Heights to Twilight." She looks at me in surprise and I meet her blue eyes again. Damn they're gorgeous. "You like books right? I saw you reading earlier when we get here."

"I love to read."

Damn that voice, it's damn near angelic. "What's your favorite book?"

She raises an eyebrow at me. "Anna Karenina and Jane Eyre."

"Hmm both good books. Gone with the Wind is my personal favorite though no one besides those in this house knows I read at all so shh." I put my finger over my lips and she giggles. _Damn. I love her giggle._

She drops her eyes back to her plate and I notice that everyone has stopped eating, they're all just staring at us like we've never talked before. _It's kinda true Grey, you don't normally talk to anyone but family and here you went and told the girl you actually read. _I quickly put more food on my plate and watch Anastasia do the same, it's as if we are both trying to keep from talking anymore. I don't ask anymore questions but every now and then I do catch her looking at me.

"So...Elliot, Christian, do you play any sports?" It's not the angelic voice that spoke instead the question came from the guy sitting next to me, I had no intention of answering him.

"Nah. I like to draw though, actually starting college next year to be an architect." I hear Elliot answer the question and then I feel a swift kick meet my ankle under the table. I glare up at him and he nods his head toward Christopher subtly.

"I like sailing, kick boxing, and baseball and no I don't play baseball." I look at him as I answer his question and he nods at me smiling. _Why the hell is the guy smiling at me? He didn't smile at Elliot, is the fucker gay? _

"My dad like baseball and so does Anastasia. Right Annie?" I observe him as he looks at her and meets her eyes in what looks to be a pleading stare? Why would he plead with his sister? I see her nod and then look back down at her food. "So Christian who is your favorite team?"

"The Mets."

He nods. "Annie you like them right?" She nods and I could have sworn I heard him mumble the words 'he's not him.' Who the hell is him and why would he mumble that I'm not him?

No one talks anymore after that really and Anastasia seems to relax again but only a little bit. I can't keep wondering what her brother meant by I'm not him, did someone hurt her? I'll kill them if they did. Wait where the hell did that come from? After Mia and my mom clear the table all of us 'kids' as my parents said head off to the carnival on the other side of the lake. Elliot and Kate quickly go off on their own and I tell Mia to meet back up with me later but to text me so I know she's okay. I'm then left with Anastasia and Christopher who seem to be having a disagreement a few feet behind me but I can't hear what they're arguing about. I don't approach them, instead I opt to let them have their moment and pretend to be interested in something on my phone. I don't want to listen to what they are saying but then Christopher's voice raises and what he says makes me almost stop breathing.

"I don't know what that fucker did to you Annie but you're not the same. You went to live with mom and that dick 4 years ago and we didn't hear a peep from you until you showed up on our doorstep wanting to live with us again and showed us papers that basically said Carla was allowing Ray to be your guardian. I may be just your step brother or ex-step brother since they aren't married anymore but dammit I worry about you! You haven't talked to ANYONE in the 5 months you've been here. Not me, not Ray, not even Kate but you talked to CHRISTIAN! I don't know what it is Annie but I can feel what you feel, that connection you feel with him I can feel it to. Maybe it would do you some good to let him in. TALK to him."

I nearly drop my phone. She hasn't talked...I didn't talk for a long time it wasn't until they brought Mia home that I starting talking and even then it was limited. I remember one of the many shrinks mom sent me to said the reason I talked to Mia was because I felt safe with her, does that mean Anastasia feels safe with me? I pocket my phone again and then I see the booth in front of me with a dozen teddy bears hanging up and before I make the decision I walk over and pay the $2 to play. It shouldn't be that hard you just knock down the bottles. I glance over my shoulder and the scene hasn't changed. Anastasia is just standing there while Christopher is practically begging her to talk to him or respond to him in some way. I throw the first ball and it's a miss. _Come on Grey you can pitch better than that. _I take a better aim and this time the bottles come down and the guy stares at me with his jaw on the floor. _Yep that's right douche. I knocked down the bottles now give me a damn bear for my girl. _My girl? Since when is she my girl? Damn it, why am I feeling this way? Feelings aren't what I do, I do control and rules and sex. I point to the big pink bear and I take it from the man and start walking over to the girl who has me all fucking confused. I hear Christopher talking to her again and he sounds like he's breaking down.

"Annie please. Let me in. Let someone in. You don't have to be alone in this. Please."

I clear my throat and bring the bear out from behind me. "Anastasia. I won you a bear." I hold it out to her and she looks at it like she's confused at why I would give her anything. "It's pink and it's cuddly." _Cuddly Grey, what are you a fucking pussy? _"I guess if you don't want it I can give it to someone else."

Before I can even start to pull it back to my side she reaches out and grabs the bear from me. "Thank you Christian. I like it."

"You're welcome Anastasia." She's talking to me again. I glance over at Christopher and he smiles at me again and this time I have a feeling why. I'm doing for her what Mia did for me, I'm helping her.

"Ana. You can call me Ana."

I nod. "Ana. Would you like to ride the Ferris wheel, eat some cotton candy, play some games, or we could just walk and talk?" She doesn't look at me, she keeps looking at the bear. I watch her as she pets it and pulls it tighter against her chest.

"Can we do all those things Christian? Please." When she does look at me her eyes are filled with excitement and hope.

I smile and hold my hand out for her to take. "Of course we can. Would you like your brother to come?"

Before she can answer me Christopher makes her jump nearly 4 feet in the air. "No! I mean, you go ahead Annie. Carnivals aren't really my thing plus I forgot I have to call Heather, it's our 2 month anniversary and I know she'll be pissed off if I don't call so you go ahead. Have fun with Christian and I'll see you later."

2 month anniversary? I wouldn't know anything about that because I don't date. Ana puts her hand in mine and that electric feeling is there, almost like she's shocking me with electric cables but it's not hurting me, in fact it makes me feel pretty damn good.

We start with the walking and then I buy her some cotton candy. I'm not sure how long we walk around just talking and holding hands but I learn a lot about her. Her favorite color is baby blue. Her favorite movie is A Walk To Remember. She'd rather eat a big mac than a salad which I fucking love because I can't stand girls who don't have a hearty appetite. She used to be a cheerleader but doesn't have any interest in it anymore. She's never had a boyfriend. She likes chocolate cake and cookie dough ice cream. She doesn't have a favorite genre of music she listens to what she likes no matter what genre. She laughed and lightly hit my arm when I asked her if she'd ever dye her hair and flat out said 'no fucking way'. Yet the thing that still had me curious but I would never push her to tell me was the fact that she isn't a virgin. No boyfriend but not a virgin, something about the way she started to lightly shake had all kinds of red flags going up in my head.

We play almost every game and sometimes she wins and creams my ass. I can't help but smile and laugh at her little victory dance. She isn't anything like the shy innocent girl that was at dinner, she's more open and happy, she has the most beautiful damn smile. I win her a few more stuffed animals and she actually names the little gray dolphin Christian. I smile and lean in and press a kiss to her cheek. _Grey! What the hell did you do that for?! _I freeze once I pull back and swallow the lump in my throat as she looks at me. I could have sworn time stopped and the people around us moved in slow motion. The scared look in her eyes had me wishing I'd never kissed her cheek.

"I...I need to go. Thank you for tonight Christian. I had fun." She turns around to leave and suddenly I feel a stab of pain where my heart should be, would be if I had one. I reach my hand out and grab her arm to stop her and I'm nearly brought to my knees by her reaction. "NO! NO! NO! Let me go please! Don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me."

I pull her close to me and hug her to my chest. "Ana. It's me Ana, Christian. I won't hurt you sweetheart. Calm down." I stroke her hair gently and look around, luckily no one heard her outburst. What the hell was that about though? Who the hell hurt her and why did she freak out when I grabbed her arm? "Shh. Calm down sweetheart. Do you want to go back to Kate's now Ana?"

I feel her nod her head slightly. I don't remove my arms from around her and for now it doesn't seem like she wants me to. I bring out my phone and send Elliot a text to tell Kate I'm taking Ana back and I'll come back to get Mia after. He doesn't answer but my phones tells me the message was read. Before I can slip my phone back in my pocket though it vibrates and the text message pops up on the screen.

_**I hope you're behaving yourself at that carnival you're mother told me about. I'd hate to have to punish you when you got home. -E**_

I stiffen and push the phone in my pocket and growl under my breath. Damn woman is keeping tabs on my now by calling my fucking mother. I must have been stupid to think I'd get any time away from her. As we get closer to Kate's house I let out a breath and shake my head, I was stupid for thinking I could feel anything Ana. I won't bring her into this, I won't let Elena find out about her, the consequences would hurt her and I can't do that. I can't hurt Ana. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't realize Ana is talking to me until I hear her say the words that put everything into perspective for me.

"I hated that too you know. The fact he always knew where I was, who I was with...I could never escape him. It took me 3 years to get the courage to leave but it still hurts you know?"

What the hell? Ana knows what that text was about, but she didn't see my phone. I was behind her and there is no fucking way she could have seen the screen. The only way she would have any clue was if...she was a sub once. I stare at her and she wraps her arms around my waist and then walks inside leaving me standing speechless on Kate's front lawn. Ana was a sub, the fucker hurt her, she left...it all makes sense. "Her moms new husband." I mutter the words as I walk up to the door and knock on it urgently. "ANA! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR ANA!"

The door opens almost instantly and I'm met with a crying Ana and I pull her into my arms. I won't let her hurt anymore. I won't let her be alone anymore. I will save this beautiful girl no matter what it costs me. Most of all, I won't let Elena or anyone else lay one fucking finger on her.


	2. Chapter II

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

Thank you all for your awesome reviews. I'm glad you like the story and I'm sorry for the slow update my kids have been sick so I've not had much time to write but I'm working on it. I also wanted to get the chapter done just right. Keep telling me what you think and I do need some names for upcoming characters, guys and girls so if you have any suggestions, PM me. :)

A few of you asked when Christian found out she wasn't a virgin and the answer is that while they were walking around and getting to each other playing games and stuff he asked her and she told him the truth. She's going to be honest with him and you'll find out why in this chapter. This is also where the loosely based stuff off of The Notebook will start. In the next chapter you will see a slight time jump start and it will continue for a few chapters but you will get more than enough information on what happened through Ana and Christian's flashbacks. I won't make it confusing I swear. I did tell you this story would have some heartbreaking moments and some fluff and some Submissive and Dominant Christian in it and you'll see all of that.

Read and Review, please!

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**Chapter II**

_Get a load of me, get a load of you.  
Walking down the street and I hardly know you,  
It's just like we were meant to be.  
What if this is just the beginning?  
We're already wet, and we're gonna go swimming._

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"ANA! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR ANA!"

I didn't hesitate to open the door and before I knew it I was looking into those gray eyes that could see straight into my soul. Within seconds he was holding me to his chest and telling me that everything would be okay, that no one would hurt me, that I could talk to him if I wanted to and he wouldn't think any less of me. I believe him. I don't know why I believed him but I do, he was lost and broken just like I was...I knew that the moment I looked into his eyes at dinner. In one night I had never felt more free, more alive, safe. I'm still not sure of what we are doing, feeling, but I know that if I let him in...if I tell him everything that there would be no turning back, ever. Maybe I didn't have to go through this alone. Maybe after I let him in, let my walls down, maybe I could even start to move on past all this.

"They got married a week before I turned 13, we actually moved in with him on my birthday." We were now sitting on the couch and he was holding my hand, it gave me the strength to keep talking. "Sam was 4 when we moved in, her birthday was just a few days before mine. Things seemed good at first, we were like a family, I had a little step sister and almost as quickly as it all came...it was all gone. My mom started drinking and that led to her checking out completely. Steve acted like he didn't even want Sam, like he didn't care about her, so I did. I loved her, I cared for her, I cooked for her, I made sure she made it to daycare and then school in the later years. After about a year that's when it first started. Steve watched me more, he always knew where I was and who I was with. Once I got a phone he always texted me and sometimes they were...inappropriate." I look up at him and his eyes are watching me intently, waiting for me to get to the part of the story that led to **this**. _Just spill it, Steele. _"He..he was going to hit her one day just because she ate a cookie before dinner, what kind of person hits a fucking child. I couldn't let him so I did something worse and he hit me instead. I was 14 when this happened and I tried to fight back but I couldn't. He always slapped me around, threw me into walls, and my mom did nothing. She just sat there and did nothing, she wasn't my mother anymore." This time when I glanced up at him I swear I saw tears pooling in his eyes but he fought them back and just gave me a reassuring smile, urging me to continue. Hell, after not talking for 5 months I actually felt good to be telling him this. _Haha but wait until he hears the rest. He won't want a damn thing to do with you anymore. _I pushed those thoughts away and took a deep breath to continue. "The next year things got more intense. I would find him looking at me and he...he even tried to touch me a few times." I saw Christian's fist clinch up and I saw the anger ripple through him. "It was the night before Sam's 7th birthday and this time when he came to my room he was drunk. I tried to fight back but I was just a 15 year old girl and then it was over before I could process what just happened."

"HE RAPED YOU?!" Christian's yell was enough to snap me out of the memory. He was on his feet now and he was standing in front of me with both his hands balled into fists. He looked like he wanted to kill someone. _Maybe he does. Maybe he wants to kill Steve. _No, that's not possible. He hasn't known me long enough to feel that much for me. "What kind of fucking man does that? Where the hell was your mother?!"

"She checked out. She was a drunk who could care less. The only thing she did for me was after I left but please let me finish the story and then you'll understand how I got here." He nodded his head and sat down next to me again. This time he pulled me into his arms and held me. "The next day I woke Sam and got her dressed without waking anyone in the house. I told her I was taking her to get her birthday present. I knew I had to get out of that house, for Sam. I didn't want anything like that happening to her so when we got to the police station she was confused. I stood outside with her and told her everything would be okay, that I loved her and that we'd stick together all she had to do was trust me. I walked in there with her and told them everything. I thought things would be better, they brought him in and surprisingly he didn't deny anything. My mother signed papers saying she would give up guardianship to Ray. That was the last day I saw Sam. She was sitting with me and then she was being taken away. I can still hear her yelling for me. She didn't want to go with them but since she wasn't any relation to me they had to put her in foster care. I told her we'd stay together, oh Christian the further she got from me the louder she seemed to scream. I tried to go after, to hold onto her, but I couldn't." I couldn't talk anymore. I could barely hold it together. I could feel it all over again, Sam being ripped from my arms and me not being strong enough to hold onto her nor smart enough to find a way to keep us together.

"Shh. Ana, I'm sorry Ana. None of that should have happened to you or to Sam. I want to ask you something. Do you trust me?" I look up and think about it. Do I trust him? I haven't known him for longer than one night but here I told him my life's darkest secret, things that not even Ray or Chris know. The answer was simple, yes I trusted him. I nodded my head and he gave me a boyish smile that made me believe it even more when he said everything would be okay. "I think Carrick can help you find Sam but you'd need to tell him everything Ana."

"No. No I can't do that. I don't know him."

"You told me. You don't know me either." He raises an eyebrow at me and it makes me lose the fight in me.

"I told you because I trusted you. Maybe that was a mistake. I think you should leave now. Goodnight Christian."

I get up and open the front door. He stands there for a moment and then walks out the door. He doesn't turn around he just keeps walking. How could he ask me to do that, to tell his father what happened and then ask him to help me find a little girl who isn't even my biological sibling.

"Christian was right Annie." I turn around and glare at Chris who is leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Maybe not in asking you to talk to Carrick but about you not knowing him. You don't really know him...yet. I hated hearing what that dick did to you and I hated hearing that Carla did nothing to stop it. Christian hated that you had to go through it and quite honestly I think if he ever gets within punching distance of Steve he will kick his ass good but not only because of what he did to you. Christian would do it because he has feelings for you. I know you think I'm just some 19 year old computer geek who is your step brother but I see things like the way he was acting towards you at the carnival tonight. It's amazing how much you can see from a little boat in the middle of the lake Annie. You can be mad at me for eavesdropping and you can be mad at me for watching you from the Kavanaugh's little boat but don't be mad at Christian. He only said what he did because he cares about you, I'm not sure if he realizes it yet but he does. He looks at you like I look at Heather. Annie, don't push him away because he might need you just as much if not more than you need him. I'll see you in the morning." With those last words he leaves me to pick my jaw up off the floor.

He heard everything. He sat in the Kavanaugh's boat and watched Christian and I. He thinks Christian has feelings for me. He thinks that Christian might need me. This night has been one hell of a roller coaster ride. I don't know what to think anymore, what to feel. I grab the pink bear and gray dolphin from the couch and walk upstairs. Could he have feelings for me? _He did kiss you Steele. He listened to you. He held you. _I tell my inner conscious to shut it. No matter how I felt around Christian it was impossible that he could feel anything for me other than maybe friendship. Steve had said as much, I was damaged and no guy would want me now. By the time I had showered and dressed in my tank top and pajama shorts I put my phone on the charger and then it buzzed at me.

_**I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to talk to Carrick. How are you feeling? -Christian**_

_**I'm okay. You were only trying to help, I shouldn't have gotten upset. -Ana**_

I put the phone back on the bedside table, he probably won't respond tonight.

_**I'll always be here Ana. Will you have breakfast with me tomorrow? XO -Christian**_

I stared at the 'XO' at the end of his message. I re-read his text and start to think maybe Chris is right. Maybe Christian could have a crush on me. _**I'd like breakfast. Goodnight Christian. **__**XO -Ana**_

_**:) See you tomorrow beautiful. Sleep well Ana. XO -Christian**_

I smiled to myself and laid back against my pillow ready to sleep. I fell to sleep almost instantly and surprisingly I didn't have nightmares. Instead my dreams were filled with Christian and pictures of what the future could bring. I don't know how long I slept but when I opened my eyes I almost screamed. The gray eyes that took center stage in my dream were now staring at me. "Christian?! What are you doing here?"

"Well I thought you stood me up but when I came over Chris told me you were asleep and led me up here. I've spent the last 2 hours watching you sleep. You talk you know." He smiles that boyish happy smile and then rolls onto his back. I notice then that he's laying on top of the covers while I'm tucked under them.

"What time is it? I talked? What did I say?"

He rolls back onto his side and looks at me again. "It's 10. You said my name." I looked away from his eyes and tried very hard not to blush. _Yeah right, like you can manage that. Are pigs flying too? _He puts his index finger under my chin and raises my eyes to meet his again. "I dreamed about you too last night. Ana, I'm not...I don't do the flowers and hearts stuff. I've never had a girlfriend but I would like to see where **this** could go. I like you Ana, a lot."

He likes me? Christian likes me and wants to see where this could go? Am I still dreaming? I lift my hand and pinch my arm and damn it hurt. Nope not dreaming that's for sure. "After what I told you...what he did...you still want me?"

He nods his head once. "Yes. I want you Ana, all of you every damn day. You aren't the only one with a fucked up past sweetheart. Hell I have a fucked up past, fifty shades of fucked up and I'm scared that if you know it all you'll run from me." I start to protest but he puts a finger over my lips and shakes his head. "But...if you'll be patient with me I'll let down my walls just like you did last night. Wanna start with one wall now?"

I think I'm going into shock. He doesn't care about my past. I nod my head at his question. I can be patient, if it means I get to know him and get close to him, I can be patient. He slowly takes my hand and places it on his chest. At first I'm confused but then I look away from where our hands are on his chest and his face looks like he's in pain. I'm hurting him. I don't want to hurt him. I try to take my hand away still not knowing why touching his chest is hurting him but he shakes his head and holds my hand tighter to his chest. "Christian. I won't hurt you."

He nods. "I know. It doesn't hurt, it's more like a...butterfly in my stomach happy feeling. And if you tell anyone I said something that girly I will deny it, capiche?" I giggle and nod my head. "I love your little giggle. I never let anyone touch my chest, it feels good when it's your touch though." He sighs and then puts my other hand on his chest and wraps his arms lightly around my shoulders. He presses a kiss to my forehead and I feel him smile. "I was 4 when Carrick and Grace adopted me before that my mother was Ella, she was a crack whore. Most of the time I was left hungry, cold, alone...if not all of those. Her pimp used to beat me and he used me as a fucking ashtray, he was a dick...kinda like your mom's ex-husband."

I listened to him intently, he was letting down a wall and letting me in. He didn't say anything more after that and he didn't need to. Baby steps. I had hope that he'd let me know more when he was ready to. I looked at him and kissed his nose and then his forehead and smiled at him when I pulled back. "So, what do you have planned for us today? We can't stay in bed all day."

He wiggles his eyebrows and I laugh. "Oh we very well could Ana but I do have plans. Now get dressed and then we're going into town. Now chop chop." He pushes me up and folds his hands behind his head. I gather up my clothes for the day and walk to the bathroom to get dressed. I have no clue what he plans to do today but from the look he had in his eyes I have no doubt it will be fun.

The summer passed by quickly and every day was spent with Christian. We saw movies, went to the beach, ate at different small restaurants, we even got ice cream with Kate and Elliot once and started a food fight in the ice cream parlor that lead to us being escorted out and asked not to come back in for the summer. We even pulled an all nighter one night and watched the sun come up together, that was also our first real kiss. We had stolen little pecks every now and then but that night was...epic.

We were laying down on blankets with pillows under our heads on the roof outside Christian's bedroom window. We were discussing songs and which ones had more meaning when it came to describing our relationship. Yes, Christian Grey has a girly romantic side and I'm the only one who sees it and I love that. He put his arm around me and I snuggled closer to his side.

"I want to kiss you Ana. Like really kiss you, not just a peck here and there."

"Then kiss me Christian."

He pulls me on top of him and his hands cradle my face gently. He presses his lips to mine and the electric current is more pronounced than ever before. I part my lips and he gently slips his tongue in and we start exploring each others mouths. His hands slide down my arms and he grips my hips tightly and pulls me closer to him. I bury my hands in his hair and pull him as close as possible. I love the way his lips feel on mine and damn he tastes good. Like peppermint toothpaste and Christian. Then as soon as it started it ended with a pillow being launched at us from his bedroom window.

"Get a room you two! That's my roof too little bro." We both glared at Elliot and Kate as they climbed out next to us on the roof. We all watched the sun rise and then went inside and fell asleep. Christian and I had no idea that the next day our world would change drastically and we would then face the first of many obstacles in our relationship.

I woke up in Christian's arms and damn he was hot, it wasn't the heat that woke me up though it was the yelling downstairs. I heard Chris's voice and then I heard Elliot and Kate, Mia, and then Grace trying to calm them all down. I carefully slid off the bed and walked down the stairs, there was a new voice added now but it sounded like it was distant, it was Ray's voice.

"No dad I won't let her go." That was Chris.

"She's my responsibility son. You are 19 and you live in a dorm, you can't live with her. It's not my fault I got transferred to Albuquerque." Ray what?! "I'll give you the day Christopher. I'll be there tonight to get her and our flight leaves at 9. I've already got her transcripts and she can come see you and the Grey's on breaks."

"I don't want to go Ray." I hadn't noticed that I spoke up until everyone looked at me.

"I'm sorry Annie. I can't get out of it. I'm sorry."

I heard the click of the phone and then I felt his arms around my waist. "We'll make this work baby. We have telephones and we can see each other on breaks and stuff. Right now lets just have some fun today okay?" I turn around and bury my head in his chest. We can make this work. That has to be true because I can't lose Christian.

We spent the rest of the day in the house playing Monopoly and watching movies with Kate, Elliot, Mia, Ethan. And Chris. No one mentioned the fact that I wouldn't be staying in Seattle and that made it a little easier to take in. When we heard the doorbell the tension came back in tenfold but when we saw the blonde woman, who was obviously a friend of Grace's walk in, everyone relaxed and went back to the Monopoly game...except Christian. I watched him from the corner of my eye and he was tense, more so than I've ever seen him. He excused himself and went upstairs to get something that he wanted to give to me before I left. I didn't think much of it until he had been gone for 5 of his turns, then I went after him. I heard his voice before I saw him.

"I told you it was done. Get the fuck out Elena."

"It's not done Christian. I know who you are and what you need."

I open his door and stop dead when I see the fucking blonde bitch kissing him.

"WHAT THE FUCK CHRISTIAN!" Everyone stops and looks behind me where Elliot is now standing with his chest puffed out and heaving. "YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BE OUT OF YOUR GOD DAMN MIND BOY!" He places a hand on each of my shoulders. "Ana go downstairs. Go. Trust me okay Ana banana." I nod my head and walk backwards toward the stairs.

"Ana! Ana stop! ANA!" I hear Christian call after me but all I see when I look at him is pain and lies and betrayal. When I reach the stairs I hear Elliot's voice again.

"CHRISTIAN HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ANA? AND YOU ELENA LINCOLN HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO A FUCKING BOY! HE'S A CHILD AND YOU ARE A FUCKING PEDOPHILE AND A BITCH. ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY I SAY GET THE HELL OUT OF THIS HOUSE...NOW!"

His voice trails off and when I hit solid ground again I let everything sink in. Christian hadn't told me everything, he said he had but he lied to me. He was **with** her. I barely noticed when I sank to the floor and felt Chris's arms around my shoulders. I knew Kate was running up the stairs but I couldn't bring myself to care. Everything was moving in slow motion and I don't even realize the blurriness is caused by tears until Chris tells me to stop crying. The sound of Ray's ford truck is a welcome sound as I see Christian flanked by Elliot, Kate, and the blonde bitch at the top of the stairs. I stand up and grab my bag from the living room and run out to his truck.

"Ana please. Talk to me." I threw the bag into the truck and motioned for Ray to keep it running then turned on Christian. How dare he have the nerve to sound broken and upset.

"Talk to you...like you talked to me? Like you talked when you said you told me EVERYTHING. I'm done talking Christian. I'm done giving and giving and getting only half in return. I trusted you. I loved you and then I see you with **her**. She is just like Steve only worse because for some fucked up reason you don't think it's wrong, don't try to lie because I saw it in your eyes. Your eyes always give you away Christian. I'm sorry but I can't do this. Maybe this should just be the end, maybe this should be what it started out to be...a summer romance. Goodbye Christian."

I turn around and get in the truck. _Don't turn around. Don't turn around. _I keep repeating that mantra in my head. I give up and look in the rear view mirror and see Christian standing there staring after the truck as if he's literally dying. We make it to the airport and past security and onto the plan quicker than I expected. Ray tries to get me to talk to him but I don't want to talk. The last person I talked to hurt me worse than I could ever have imagined. I pull my phone out to turn it off and read the text messages I had received since I left.

_**I'm sorry Ana. It's not what it looked like. Please let me explain. XO -Christian**_

_**Ana I love you. Please call me when you land. XO -Christian**_

_**Ana banana, I'm sorry. I know what you saw hurt and believe me Christian is still getting hell from me and now Mia because she found out too, our parents however don't know. I wanted to let you know that I put a going away present in your carry on. It's a journal. Write in it. Text me when you land. -Elliot**_

I turn the phone off and shove it into my carry on bag. I see the journal and take it out. It's leather and it has my name in the bottom right hand corner. I open it and read the inscription on the front page.

_-This is for those times when you don't feel like you have anyone to talk to.-_

I have no clue what to write in it. I like to write, I've always wanted to write a book but I've never had inspiration. I take a pen out of my bag and start to write. I don't realize what I'm writing until I'm about a paragraph into it. I need to write this down because I need to remember. I need to remember how it felt to be with him, how it felt to fall in love, and how it felt to find everything I never knew I was looking for.

_-Some romantics would call this a love story others would call it a tragedy. I would call it...real. It's a little of both. No matter how you view it, it doesn't change the fact that it involves the best part of my life and the path I chose to follow. 'A summer romance, what's the worst that can happen?' That is what we went into the summer thinking. We didn't know that the worst thing that could happen would be to fall in love, because only when we fell did we realize we had the power to hurt each other. The summer was filled with breaking rules, standing apart from the crowd, ignoring our heads and following our hearts. This a story about a boy a girl who met the night of the carnival. They met, they talked, and it was epic. They were two lost and broken souls who were headed down a road that neither of them ever thought they'd find. They fell in love hard and fast, there was no turning back. We fell in love despite our differences. He had the world at his feet while I barely had a dollar to my name yet we had a connection that only few people ever experience. When I looked at him it was like I was looking straight into his soul and vice versa. I only ever fell once and I don't think I'll ever fall again. For me, it will always be Christian Grey no matter how much it hurts or what happens in life. Love, that is why we spent every minute together this summer and why every memory has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of what happened this summer. I'll never forget Christian Grey and what it felt like to be loved by him.-_


	3. Chapter III

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

WOW! You guys are awesome. I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the last two. There's a big game changer in this one and Christian meets someone he never expected to. It's a character from the book but it's my take on how I think the character should have been written.

Next chapter you get to see how Ana is dealing with no Christian.

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter III**

_Do you think I'm special?  
Do you think I'm nice?  
Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?  
Between the noise you hear, and the sounds you like,  
Are we just sinking in the ocean of faces?_

* * *

**-2 years later-**

It has been 2 years since the day I saw her drive away and felt every ounce of life leave my body. I had nothing left, she took every damn thing with her. _It was your own damn fault Grey. Now look where you are. _I looked around my dorm room again and sat defeated on the bed. This is not what I want, I don't want to be at Harvard studying business. I don't want to be Elena's fucking submissive anymore. I don't want to still be fighting with Elliot like I have been for the past 2 years. I don't want Chris to ever find out the real reason that Ana left me because right now he's the only fucking friend I have. Yet most of all I don't want to be alone. I want Ana, my Ana. I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear a forceful knocking on my door.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER GREY!"

I come face to face with the only friend I have and take a deep breath. "Chris. Let me explain."

"Explain? You want to explain why you were fucking around with a woman old enough to be your damn mother Christian! Honestly it's taking all my willpower right now NOT to fucking beat your ass for hurting Annie."

"Then do it." I say the three words and it brings back so many memories of the past two years. I deserve everything I've gotten, every pain I've felt...all because I hurt her worse.

_-2 years earlier-_

_I watched her drive away until I couldn't see the damn truck anymore. I made my decision. I had to do this so I could suffer with her. I knew I hurt her and that alone made this decision easier to make. I got in my car and I drove back to Seattle. I parked the car in my driveway but I went next door and went straight up the stairs and into **her **playroom. I waited and waited and waited. I didn't think about anything. I just knelt there and waited for her command. She would make the decisions, she would guide me, but most of all she would make me feel everything. After what felt like hours she opened the door and came to stand in front of me. _

"_I guess I was right. It's not over." I don't answer. I must stay quiet until she says otherwise. I don't look up, I keep my eyes focused on the floor and my palms on my thighs. "Answer me. Is it over?"_

"_No ma'am." I answer but I don't look up._

"_Look at me." I lift my head. She will make the decisions. I don't have to. I don't have to hurt anyone else. Not anymore. "Stand up, go to the bed, and get ready for your punishment."_

_I follow her instructions. This is what I need. This is what I want. I want to be punished. I want to feel the pain. I need to feel the pain. _

"_Tell me. Why are you being punished?"_

"_I was with someone other than you ma'am. I was also a fool who fell in love. I deserve this."_

"_Yes. You do."_

_Then the pain starts. Every hit. Every ounce of pain. I deserve it. I try to fight it but Ana always comes back to me. With every hit I see another way I hurt her. A time when I could have been more open to her. A time where I could have held onto her tighter. A time where I could have said I love you in person rather than in a damn text message. Every fucking memory of when I could have been better, **for her** comes back to me. I need to feel this pain because this is what she feels. Finally after 30 hits I see the last memory come and it's the most painful. She left me._

-Present day-

"You want me to beat your ass Grey?"

Yes. I need that. I deserve that. I put her through pain so I should feel it to. I need him to make me feel it, to punish me. I sink to my knees with my palms on my thighs looking at the floor. I need him to tell me what to do. I need my dom to make the decisions for me.

"Christian?" I don't answer. He hasn't told me to speak. "Buddy? I don't get it. Christian?" He'll get it. He needs to tell me to speak. I don't move.

"He won't answer you like that." There's a new voice now and it spurs a different type of memory. It's like I've heard that voice before but I can't tell where from, I just remember what the voice said. _'If you think I'm going to let you send me to fucking boarding school willingly and leave you to care for a damn 3 year old you are very mistaken you whore!' 'You can't keep me away from him You aren't my father you're her fucking drug dealing fuck buddy!' _Who is this person? Will he make the decisions for me.

"Then how will I get him to snap out of it."

"You won't. I will." I listen to their conversation but I never speak. No ones told me to yet.

"No offense but who the hell are you? I'm his friend Chris and I don't ever remember seeing you before."

"You haven't. He has but he probably won't remember. I've been looking for him for years. My name is Jason Taylor and I'm his brother."

"How did you find him?" Yes how did this mysterious brother find me. I always figured I had one, I mean I remembered an older kid being around when I was 3 but then he was gone. I only ever told one person.

"I didn't. Someone found me. I don't know who all I got was an anonymous letter with what they knew about him. The reason they looked for me was because he needed his brother." He didn't have to say the name. It was Ana. I only ever told Ana. Ana found him? Ana looked for him? Why?

"Okay well how will you help him? He's damn near catatonic."

"He's not catatonic. He just needs his brother. I was in the military, I've seen a lot of things and I know how to help him. Trust me. He'll call you later okay?"

I listen as one person leaves and I wait. He needs to make the decisions for me. I don't want to. Someone always gets hurts. I make bad choices. He needs to make them for me. I need my dom to think for me.

"Stand and go inside. I'm not doing this in a fucking hallway." That's my dom. I can hear it in his voice. He made a decision and I have to follow it. I kneel in the middle of the room just like I was in the doorway. "Okay now. My name is Jason Taylor. I'm 28 years old. I have an ex-wife and a daughter. I was in the military. I was sent to boarding school when I was 13, but I think you might remember that conversation with Ella and her fuck buddy because you were 3. After Ella died I was adopted and changed my last name to Taylor. I tried to look for you for years as did my adoptive parents but your records must have been locked up tighter than the blue prints of the Pentagon. Okay, still not talking. Nod your head if you heard any of that."

I nod my head. I don't look up and I don't speak. I listened and I did what he said. I was a good boy.

"Good. Now, I'm guessing since your following my orders and not just talking to me you want me to make decisions for you. Nod once for yes, twice for no. Do it now."

I nod once.

"You'll be waiting a hell of a long time then because I'm not going to make them for you Christian." My dom isn't going to tell me what to do? What did I do wrong? "I'm going to be up front with you now, you're in your submissive state now aren't you? Once for yes, twice for no, that will be the drill from now on. Answer the questions."

I nod once.

"I'm not your dominant Christian. I have no desire to be. Can I tell you a story about something I saw while I was in the military?"

I nod once.

"There was a guy in my unit, I wasn't friends with him but I knew him...or I thought I did. You see he had a secret that came out one day. He was a ladies man and every one of us men envied him, until that moment. Do you know much about the MP Christian?"

I nod my head twice. I don't know anything about the MP.

"Well they are worse than regular police. Believe me. Anyway, this guy turned out to be a Dominant and he had this girl one night I guess she was his submissive I don't know. All I know is he went to a club one night and took her to some hotel afterward. He went AWOL after that. He never came back and no one knew why but everyone was looking for him. Men mostly go AWOL when they are running from something or they just want out before their duty is over. The girls face was plastered everywhere, she never went home either. Do you know why Christian?"

I nod my head twice. I don't want to know. I've heard about this, these kind of Dom's are bad. Very very bad.

"Her Dominant was too hard on her or whatever you call it. When they finally found him, they found her too. She was beat pretty bad, she lived, but she was beat pretty bad. The MP dealt with him since he was still military and it got bad. He was stripped of every badge he'd ever earned. All the good he'd done was basically forgotten by everyone. The only thing people saw when they looked at him or heard his name was that he beat an innocent 19 year old girl...for fucking fun Christian."

"Not everyone is like that." Oh shit. I spoke.

"Is your Dominant like that? Tell me. When you hear her name, I'm assuming it's a woman because I don't think your gay, do you have any good you can say about her? When you see her do you think about anything other than the way she beats you and...I hope I never have to say this again...fucks you?"

Shit. He's right. Elena may not have beat me to death but she's just as bad as that other guy. Every time I see her, I feel fear because I know the pain she's able to inflict on me. Every time I hear her name or even say it it's nothing good. I can not say one good thing about Elena Lincoln, except maybe..."She helped me." I look at him and only then notice he is kneeling in front of me. He looks like me kind of. Older, same copper colored hair, he has hazel colored eyes, he's fit and he certainly looks ex-military.

"I don't believe that. If she had helped you like you claim you wouldn't be kneeling on the fucking ground waiting for me to tell you what to do. If she had helped you maybe you would have the balls to go after what you want and not wait around for someone else to tell you when and how to do it! If she helped you maybe you'd have grown up and you'd be a man now Christian! The only thing I think she did was take advantage of you and tear you down to where you don't even know who the hell you are anymore. You can change that though. I want to help you change that. I may not know you and you may not know me but I care about you and I know you can tell I'm your brother. You have to make the first step Christian. Here's my phone number. I hope to hear from you when you want to finally man up and make your own future."

He's just going to leave? I just found him and he's leaving. _You can get him to stay. You know what you can do to make him stay Grey. _Can I do it? Can I walk away from Elena now? I hear the door open and close behind him. He left. Why the fuck am I still kneeling her? I'm 18 and I'm not Elena's fucking toy anymore. I stand up and pull the door open and then I'm frozen in my spot.

"Well that took longer than I thought. I didn't think you'd let me actually get to the door but I guess better late than never huh? I'm just lucky tough love works on you, that's a good thing to know."

"You didn't leave?" I ask the question and then watch as his face changes. He looks sorry and understanding.

"No. I won't leave you little bro. I just found you, what kind of brother would I be if I left now huh? I only left when I was 13 because I was too weak to fight that fucking pimp. Enough with the heavy shit now, lets start over. I'm Jason Taylor and I'm your more handsome and funny older brother." He holds his hand out to me.

I take it. "I'm Christian Grey. I wouldn't bank on you being more handsome or more funny than I am because I'm a fucking riot."

"And he has a sense of humor too. Who would have guessed."

We both laugh and then I invite him inside. We spend the rest of the day getting to know each other. We have some things in common, more things than I have in common with either Mia or Elliot. He tells me about his ex-wife Julia and his 4 month old daughter Sophie. He shows me pictures and she's a very beautiful baby. I tell him about growing up with Grace and Carrick. I tell him about Ana and how I blew that straight to hell. He tells me not to jump to conclusions and that she may not be gone for good. I don't believe him. If there was any hope I'd ever get her back she'd have answered any one of the text messages, phone calls, or emails I've sent her over the past 2 years. He tells me about his time in the military. He enlisted when he was 18 and served until he was 25, then he never re-enlisted. Instead he fell in love and eventually got married only to be divorced after Sophie was born because his wife found someone else. Now would be the time to tell him about Elena.

"It started when I was 15."

"SHE RAPED YOU?! Oh if I hit women she'd be dead, no joke."

I flinch at his tone but keep talking. "It was consensual. I wanted it too. I was getting in to too much trouble, fighting, drinking. I'd been kicked out of 5 schools already and I wasn't living up to Grace and Carrick's expectations. I needed to be better, to be worthy of their lifestyle."

"By lifestyle you mean love?"

"Maybe. Elena helped me. Once I signed on the dotted line she made me stop the drinking and fighting and I wanted to, not only because I wanted to please her but I wanted Grace and Carrick to see the difference too. She helped me be better and then...then I met Ana when I was 16. When I met her, it was like I forgot everything with Elena. When I was with Ana I actually felt like what I'd done with Elena was wrong. After I lost her, I didn't know what else to do. I made the decision to be with Ana that summer and it ended with me hurting her. I didn't want to make decisions that would hurt people anymore so I went back to Elena. I went back so that I wouldn't hurt anyone else."

"So instead you made a decision that only hurt you? Tell me Christian, how would Ana feel if you told her you went straight back into Elena's bed huh? Would that make Ana feel like you loved her? Would that make her happy or would it hurt her?"

It was only at that moment that I thought the decision of going back to Elena through. I hadn't thought that night. I had acted with no concern of any one else's feelings. I had been trying to reach out to Ana, to get her to forgive me, to get her to give me a second chance, but for the first time I find myself happy that she never answered me. If she had, she would have only been hurt worse. It would have completely devastated her to find out that I went back to being Elena's submissive.

"What the hell did I do?" I put my head in my hands and do what I should have done 2 years ago. I let it all out. I cried and cried. I had let down my Ana again and I couldn't live with myself.

"Hey hey hey. It's okay little bro. You can still show Ana that you love her by ending it now. You can walk away from Elena now, it's never too late."

"I can't walk away now. Not until I get my trust fund. I need to stick to my plan."

"What plan and what does it have to do with she-who-must-not-be-named?"

I chuckle at him. "Harry potter really?" He raises and eye brow and waves his hand around in a whatever gesture. "The plan is to get my trust fund and start my own company. Grey Enterprise and Holdings. I have to wait 2 years and then I can drop out and start my dream. But even with the trust fund I'd need Elena's help, she has money and she's willing to help me get started." I continue to tell him my plan and he just keeps nodding his head the whole time.

"Okay so you want to start your business which sounds like it'll be a good thing by the way and she wants to help you. You know why right?" I shake my head. "So she will still have control with you Christian. She gives you money, you are thankful to her, you're like putty in her fucking hands. She wants to control you not help you."

I have to agree. He does make sense. Elena loves control about as much as I do. "Without her help I can't get it started. I need her help."

He shakes his head. "No you don't. I'll help you. I have more than enough savings set aside to help you."

I stand up shocked. "I can't ask that of you. I barely know you. I won't be able to pay you back for a while."

He stands up and looks me straight in my eyes. "You're not asking me, I'm giving it to you. You know me well enough to know I'm your brother and I want to protect you and love you. And like hell you'll pay me back it's a fucking gift, keep the money you make. In exchange for the money though you could do me one little favor."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "What favor?"

He laughs. "When you make it big you'll need protection. Let me be head of your security team so that way I know my little bro is safe and I can sleep easy at night."

I laugh along with him and nod. "Okay only if you let me pay you though."

"Alright you got a deal. Now since we are being honest with one another I want to tell you something that will make you sleep easier at night probably." I sit back down and wait for him to continue. "I found the pimp that killed Ella and beat us both to shit. I found him a couple of months ago. He was living in Vegas and I wasn't shocked to find out he was already in jail. When I went to confront him I found out why he was behind bars. Who would have thought it would have been a 16 year old girl who brought him down?"

Oh shit. It can't be. No, it's a coincidence. It can't be.

"Apparently he didn't grow out of getting his jollies from beating kids cause he had beat her like a raggedy Anne doll not to mention he raped her. I saw him and basically laughed in his face and told him he got what he deserved. He remembered me you know. He changed his name and changed his looks but I knew it was him. He still smelled like Camel cigarettes."

Is it still a coincidence? It could not have been the same person that hit me, that hurt my Ana.

"Christian? Are you still with me? You're pale as a ghost dude."

"What...what was his name?"

Please don't say Steven Morton. Please for the love of all that is holy don't say that fucking name.

"Steven Morton."

Oh shit. I take a lot of deep breaths and fall to my knees. This time there is nothing submissive about it, this is out of pure pain.

I knew at this moment I would take Jason's offer.

I'd end it with Elena.

I'd start GEH.

I'd make damn sure Steven was never released from that fucking cell, he'd have no other chance to hurt Ana. I'd make damn sure of that.


	4. Chapter IV

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

WOW! You guys are awesome. 3 chapters so close together. Call me inspired. :) Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Now another small time jump and we'll catch up with Ana. You will meet two new characters, one from the book and one I invented for the storyline. The chapter will start with an excerpt from Ana's book because yes she still writes in the book Elliot gave her. Secrets will come out and Christian and Ana will come face to face again. They still have a long way to HEA though. Ana is not as naive as she was when Christian knew her. She has a voice now and she is not afraid to use it.

Read and Review, please!

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**Chapter IV**

_Now and then I think of when we were together.  
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die.  
Told myself that you were right for me,  
but felt so lonely in your company.  
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember._

* * *

_**-5 years since the breakup-**_

_-We made a lot of promises that summer, some were kept others weren't. I told him my hopes and dreams for the future I wanted, he would hold me and tell me I could make it happen because he believed in me. I believed him only because I could tell by the way he said it and the look in his eyes that he really believed in me, because I meant so much to him...or was that a lie? Over the years I thought the hurt would begin to fade and that it would be easier to move on, I was wrong. Every year since I found myself searching for you in every boy I met. They weren't you though. They were either too tall, too skinny, not fit enough, their eyes didn't hold that conviction that yours did, their hair didn't show the red high lights when the sun shone down on it,, their laugh was way off, they weren't you. I always wanted to go back home, to see you again but I was afraid of what I'd find. I was afraid that you would have moved on already and that would hurt even more. I never wanted to think of you loving someone else, or just being with someone else since you always said you weren't capable of love...which I knew was wrong because I knew somewhere deep down you did love me in your own fucked up way. The main reason I never saw you again, talked to you again,, was because I wanted to remember us like we were that summer. I didn't want to lose that, I still don't if I'm being honest."_

"ANA! If you stand us up on your 21st birthday you will regret it. Get out here before we are late."

I closed the book as I heard Aiden call me from the living room. I was dreading going out but when Aiden and his older brother Luke tagged teamed on me, I couldn't say no. I grabbed my purse and put on my best 'I'm happy to be 21 face.' and headed for the living room. When I got there and met the eyes of the two guys who had helped me move on, well at least outside of this apartment, my face fell and they saw the real emotions that I tried hard to hide.

"Call him Ana." I look at Luke and he embraces me in his arms. He is as much a brother to me as Chris is except I can talk to Luke a lot more than I can talk to Chris. "Everyone fucks up babe. He may have his secrets but you have yours too."

I nod my head into his chest. "You're right Luke. I can't talk to him yet. Maybe one day but...not now."

"As long as you promise one day. Now Aiden will probably go crazy if we don't leave for dinner soon. Lets go do this thing."

Aiden locks up the apartment and we head off towards the restaurant. We've only been in Seattle for a week and we were lucky Luke was able to find us a good apartment to live in that's close to SIP. Aiden and I would start work in 3 days and it finally felt like things were falling into place, somewhat. I still thought of Christian everyday and I knew Chris was in this city somewhere. I hadn't spoken to either of them in a long time. After I left I kept contact with Chris up until 3 years ago, I made a mistake and told him why Christian and I had broke up...I let him in all the way and he said things to me that he could never take back. He was turning out to be like Steve, at least with his words. They still echoed in my head sometimes. _'Jesus Ana why didn't you tell me? You're stupid you know that, for still loving him. He doesn't deserve you, you're too good for him. Are you ever going to grow up and get a brain Annie. He used you as a fucking cover story so he could fuck that woman.' _I had spent the last 3 years telling myself he was wrong. I wasn't a cover story to Christian. I was more, right? I still had doubts about that, especially knowing what I do. Thanks to Aiden and Luke, I was never kept in the dark when it came to Christian, and it all started 5 years ago during spring break after I met Aiden.

_-5 years earlier-_

"_Come on Ana. It's just one week, spring break. I want you to meet my brother and he lives in Seattle. Ray said it was okay."_

_I looked at Aiden as he was in his normal spot in my room sitting at the chair on my desk. I was torn in two, part of me wanted to go to Seattle to meet my new best friends brother but part of me was scared that I'd see **him**. I knew I'd go with Aiden though, I had a hard time saying no to him ever since he saved me from the school jock trying to get in my pants. There was even a rumor going around that we were dating, which neither of us really cared because we knew the truth. I was still in love with Christian and I wasn't Aiden's type...I was a girl. "Fine. I'll go with you Aiden, BUT I don't want you to try and force me to see him alright?"_

_He sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes. "Fine Ana. Luke can help you though if you want to see him from far away."_

_I stopped writing my English paper and looked up at him. He had me intrigued. I knew that he told me Luke had just recently become a detective, probably the youngest one since he was only 24. "How could he do that?" I watch the emotions go across his face. The sneaky little devil. "He already is isn't he?" No answer from Aiden. "Aiden Tyler Sawyer you tell me right now, is your brother watching Christian now?"_

"_Yes. Okay, yes he is! Damn Ana, I just want to help you okay? Luke hasn't told me anything but he has been watching him for me. I know you still love the guy and maybe if you see that he is just as heartbroken as you maybe it will work out and you can call me Aiden the matchmaker Sawyer instead of middle naming me to death!"_

_I laughed at his outburst and laughed even harder when he started a pillow fight to try to get me to stop laughing. I loved Aiden like a brother and it felt so easy to be around him. Aiden slept over that night because he informed me that our plane to Seattle would leave tomorrow morning. I stayed awake until Aiden fell asleep and then checked my email, hopefully there would be another from Christian. I liked to read his emails they made me feel like he still cared about me. I logged on and sure enough there was a new email from him. It didn't say anything that the others hadn't. He missed me, he was sorry, he wanted to explain, same old same old. At the end though there was something new. Submissive? What the hell is a submissive and why did he write he was sorry for being Elena Lincoln's submissive? I close the email and open up the internet browser to start searching for an answer. The things I find are fucking horrible. It makes me hate the bitch even more. After half an hour and puking my guts out three times I shut the computer down and lay down next to Aiden to try and get some sleep. _

_The next morning we pack our bags and leave to head to the airport. We settle into our seats and the comfortable silence that surrounds us is saying everything that neither of us can't. Aiden knows how much it hurt for me to leave the way I did 7 months ago, but he knows it's even harder for me to go back. The hours tick by and as we descend in SeaTac Aiden reaches over and takes my hand. _

"_I'm right here next to you Ana. Always and forever girlfriend." _

_I laugh at his high pitched girlfriend and shake my head. "You better mean that boyfriend." I mimic his high pitched tone on boyfriend and he laughs with me._

_We make our way to baggage claim and he points out his brother. He's tall and he's big, like a bear. I giggle as we approach him and he eyes me curiously. "Something funny Miss Steele?"_

"_Not at all Mr. Sawyer. Please call me Ana though, I am your brothers best friend."_

_He nods once. "Only if you call me Luke. You know I was pleasantly surprised when little Aiden told me he was bring a girl with him, I half expected you to be a dude dressed like a girl more up Aid's alley wouldn't you say Ana?"_

_I laugh. "Pretty much. Half the reason I feel safe with him is because I know he doesn't want to fuck me."_

"_I like you Ana. You got spunk." He high fives me and we both laugh._

"_Yes yes you are both HILARIOUS. Can we get out of the airport before everyone finds out I'm not batting for Ana's team? I don't want it to make the front page tomorrow morning."_

"_Oh little bro it wouldn't be front page, maybe 4th or 5th but not front. You're not that special kiddo."_

_I laughed at their brother banter and it made me miss Chris. I wasn't sure if I wanted to see him while I was here, I knew he still saw Christian and I don't think I'm ready for that. The ride back to Luke's apartment was filled with more jokes and just random questions getting to know each other. We all avoided the elephant in the room until we got back to Luke's. _

"_Ana your eyes give you away you know. You want to know about Christian huh?"_

_I nod. "Is he okay?"_

_He sighs and pulls a folder out of his briefcase. "This is the most recent picture I have of him. I don't have many at all but this is the most recent." He pushes a photo towards me and I pick it up to look at it. He looks different. Skinnier. I can't see his eyes but he looks sad, defeated almost. Heartbroken. "He's not good Ana. I've been following him for almost a month now and he just does the same thing every day. He goes to school. He comes home. About every other day he goes next door for about 4 or 5 hours. He has a routine. Sometimes it's different if he goes for a run in the park but-"_

"_Wait." I interrupt him. Next door? He just said Christian goes next door every other fucking day. "Next door...are you sure?"_

_He nods. "Yeah why?"_

"_Damn it!" I throw the picture away and feel the rest of my heart break. He went back to **her**. He's still doing **that** with **her**. He replaced me. _

-Present day-

The waitress leads us to our seats and then tells us our waiter will be there soon. Lucky for me Luke and Aiden listened when I told them I just wanted to go to Olive Garden. I hate those fancy restaurants where you have to wear cocktail dresses, who would want to flaunt their money like that?

"I think I'll have chicken parm. What about you Ana?"

I look at Aiden and roll my eyes. "What do I always eat Aiden? Spaghetti."

He laughs. "Well if you were going to eat that we could have stayed home and saved 10 bucks. Seriously though Ana who pays 10 bucks for a plate of Spaghetti?"

"I do Aiden. Now shut it. It's my birthday." I smile at him and stick my tongue out. Ana-1. Aiden-0.

"I'd listen to the lady Aid. She's a woman who knows what she wants." I smile and Luke and thank him.

The waiter comes to take our order and then everything seems to stop. We were talking about our internships at SIP and then Luke and Aiden both freeze and are looking at something behind me. When I turn around to see what it is I'm met with the pair of gray eyes I never thought I'd see again.

"Anastasia."

I swallow and take a deep breath. "Christian. What are you doing here?"

"Having dinner with Jason. Thank you by the way, for finding him."

"Thank Luke. He's the one who finds things out. Excuse me, I need some air. Aiden, Luke, I'll be right back."

They nod and then I bolt for the door. Why on my birthday? Why did I have to see him on my 21st birthday? I had so many questions for him but I wasn't ready to ask them. I didn't want to know the truth because I didn't want to get hurt. It nearly broke me to pieces when I found out that he was still with the blonde bitch troll. That he was letting her whip him and beat him and fuck his brains out. It made me fucking sick. I asked Luke to stop watching him after I found that out and he did it but something inside told me that every now and then he still looked up Christian, I couldn't be mad at him for that. I heard the door open behind me and braced myself for the talk to come. I knew he wouldn't let me walk away twice.

"Ana! Don't walk away. Please, talk to me sweetheart."

I turn to face him and laugh out loud. "Sweetheart? You think you have the fucking right to call me sweetheart after what you did Christian! What you kept from me? I told you everything, I let you in, and I fell in love with YOU Christian. Can you say the same?"

"Yes Ana. I love you. I loved you then and I love you now. I just want to talk to you, explain everything. I won't keep any part of me from you. I won't hurt you like that again."

I nod. "Fair enough. Lets talk shall we." I take one step closer to him and make eye contact with him so I can know if he's telling me the truth. "Did it hurt to see me not turn around? To just leave you broken in the fucking driveway."

I see the pain in his eyes. "Yes. It hurt like hell Ana. You took everything that was left of me with you."

I take a deep breath and ask the next question I have. "You made your dream come true. I read the article Christian in the paper. You started your company and you're on your way to being a big time billionaire CEO. Does it feel good Christian?"

He drops my gaze and then looks at me again. "No. It doesn't Ana. I wanted to share that life with you. I wanted to build all of this for you, for US. Why didn't you ever respond to me Ana? I know you got the emails and text's and the phone calls, why didn't you just once send me a 'Hi.' or a 'Hey how's it going?'. I needed you then Ana and hell I need you now too."

He takes a step towards me and I take a step back shaking my head. "Don't. Christian, I'm not that naive little 16 year old anymore. I've changed and so have you. Tell me one last thing though honestly."

"Anything."

"When did you end it with her? With Elena Lincoln."

His eyes go wide and his body tenses up. "Years ago."

"How many years? 1? 3? 5?"

Pain. Regret. Disgust. Those are the prominent emotions that I can see in his eyes. "Ana. Ana I-"

"When Christian? Remember though, your eyes always give you away."

He takes a deep breath and answers. "2 years ago. A year after I started Harvard and a year after I met Jason."

I close my eyes and fight the tears back. "I knew Christian."

I look up and he tilts his head to the side. "Knew what?"

"That you went back to her after I left. That you let her beat the shit out of you and fuck you senseless. I looked up what a submissive was 5 years ago, it disgusts me honestly. I also went back Christian. I went back to Seattle that March for spring break. I was going to give you that second chance you convinced me through email you wanted but then I saw it. Luke had just become a detective and he cared about me a lot, like a sister so he looked you up. He told me about every other day you went next door to her house, I didn't want to believe him. That week I saw it for myself. I watched you go in there and I waited for 5 hours until you came out looking just fucked. That is when I broke Christian. I had nothing left. If it wasn't for Aiden and Luke I would have probably stopped talking again. It hurt so much worse than seeing you just kiss her because I knew I had been replaced and it had been so easy for you to just let her back in. I'm sorry Christian but if you're going to ask for that second chance now, it'd be a no. I need to be able to trust you and right now I can't. I love you I do, but please don't look for me again. If it really is meant to be our paths will cross again and we will see each other again one day. See you later Christian."

I start to walk back into the restaurant when he grabs my wrist lightly. "I'm sorry Ana. I never wanted to hurt you. You weren't replaced you never could be. I know saying I'm sorry won't fix it but I want to fix it Ana. I want to be a man that deserves you. Please, is there any hope that maybe we could try again, a clean slate maybe?"

I look into his eyes and see the sincerity of his words. "Maybe. Prove to me I can trust you Christian."

He nods. "I will Ana. I love you."

I nod my head and walk back inside. I pass Aiden on the way to the table and he just tells me he has to step outside for a phone call. I don't find that weird until I get back to the table and see his phone sitting there, what the hell is he doing? He comes back a few minutes later and it's like nothing happened. The conversation resumes and we eat our dinner. They bring out a cupcake and the restaurant sings happy birthday to me, I hit Luke and Aiden lightly in the arms and it all seems so normal. They don't mention Christian and they don't ask me what was said outside. I wouldn't keep it from them but they don't ask because they want me to tell them when I'm ready.

We head home and then Luke says his goodbye for the night. I go to my room and get ready for bed. I was glad I saw Christian this evening. I've already written in the notebook once but now there is something new I need to write. A new chapter to a new ending, or beginning depending on how you look at it.

_-I saw him today and for the first time in years I felt whole. 5 years and he still had the power to bring me to my knees with just one word 'Anastasia'. I don't think I'll ever get over him. There was so much I wanted to say to him but I was scared to tell him what I wanted him to know the most. I wanted to tell him that I loved him still. That I am who I am today because of him. He is the one that made me chase after my dreams, he's my every hope, my every reason for going after what I want. I don't know what the future holds but I don't fear it anymore. I will always be his. Tonight, the sky got darker and the moon went higher into the sky as the night went on. I don't think either of us knew it and if we did we didn't admit it out loud but in those 15 minutes things changed again. We began to regain the intimacy, the bond of familiarity, that we once shared. We fell in love all over again and this time. This time it was just the beginning.-_

I put the notebook under my mattress and fell asleep. I dreamed of Christian that night and for the first night in 5 years, I felt hope. Hope that we could put everything behind us and move forward together. What I didn't know was that it would be another 5 years before I saw Christian Grey again.

A lot can happen in 5 years.


	5. Chapter V

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

Last time jump I promise you guys. From now on it's Christian and Ana and how they will get to their HEA. They will have to save each other and fight for what they have, but will they come out of it all together?

For this chapter you have to remember that as much as Christian loves control he never has control when it comes to Ana.

Read and Review, please!

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**Chapter V**

_I told you to be patient, and I told you to be fine.  
And I told you to be balanced, and I told you to be kind.  
Now all your love is wasted, then who the hell was I?  
Cause now I'm breaking at the bridges, and at the end of all your lies.  
Who will love you?  
Who will fight?_

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**-5 years later-**

Thank fuck it's Friday.

It's been a long stressful day and I just want to get back to Escala and lose myself in my playroom with Leila. I know I have to end our contract soon, she's becoming too clingy. She wants more and I just want a distraction. That is all any of them ever were or will be. There was only ever one person who I could ever offer more to and she fucking lied to my face. She told me we had a chance to get back what we lost and then all but fell off the face of the earth. I've spent 5 years looking for her. I've built GEH into what it is today and the whole fucking time I had Jason, and Henry Welch both looking for her. My office phone rings and I angrily pick it up.

"Grey. What the fuck is wrong now?!" I yell into the phone not giving a damn who is on the other end.

"Christian? Wow I finally got through, been trying to get through to you on this number for a year now."

The man's voice sounds familiar, a distant memory. "Who the fuck is this?"

"First, calm down dude." Dude? Really this fucker calls me and then calls me DUDE! "Second, it's Aiden and I need your help."

Aiden. Holy shit. "Not on this phone. Call my cell it's more secure." I give him the number and within seconds of hanging up I pick up my cell phone. "What's the problem Aiden?"

"I don't know what else to do Christian. I've been trying to reach you and find you for a year but you are harder to get a hold of than the president. Good security team by the way." I'll have to remember to tell Jason that.

"What do you need me help with Aiden? It's been 5 years."

"Ana."

I laugh at him. "I can't go back down that road. Ana flat out lied to me, she said we could fix things and then just fucking disappeared. Believe me I've been looking for her but-"

"She didn't lie to you Christian. She found out. I swear I didn't tell her neither did Luke. For the last 5 years I've spent every damn day trying to save Ana but I can't do it. I can't save her. But you can Christian."

I put my head on my desk and replay the memory from 5 years ago back in my head.

_-5 years ago-_

_I watched Ana go back inside and turned to walk towards the car where Jason was waiting. We had ordered take out and were going back to the apartment to watch a die hard marathon._

"_CHRISTIAN!"_

_I turn around to see one of the guys who was sitting with Ana jogging towards me. "You're Ana's..." I wait for him to finish the sentence. Please don't say boyfriend._

"_Friend. I'm Aiden. Look I don't have long but I need to tell you something. Ana, she loves you more than you may know. I know you don't know me but we're the same Christian. We both love Ana and look out for her. We are both Dom's."_

_He stops talking for a minute and I take in everything he said. How did he know? I thought everything was airtight so that no one could find out my personal life. "How do you know I'm a Dom?"_

_He smiles. "I look out for Ana as does my brother. Plus I've seen you at Elena Lincoln's club. Look I want this to work between you and Ana because I want her happy and you are a nice guy Christian. I can see it in your eyes and I can see it in hers. I know a lot Christian. I know about Julie, Britanie, and even Elena who subbed for you. Right now, well tomorrow you have Hannah who has been your sub for a couple of weeks now coming to your place right, Escala?"_

_I nod. He knows them by name. Who the hell is this little person? "How do you know their names?"_

"_We have the same lawyer who draws up our contracts. By the way he will be getting new protection because it was way too easy for Luke to hack in and get the paperwork. Anyways, Ana is big on trust. If you want to start over with her...tell her the truth. You know her number and her email. Tell her."_

_I stand there as I take in everything he has said. He's right. I should have told Ana the truth. "Aiden!" I take a step toward him and he turns around and smiles at me._

"_Our secret Christian. It was nice to meet you and I hope we can be friends one day."_

_I nod and watch him go inside. When Jason and I get back to Escala we eat in silence and then I head off to my room instead of our movie night. I told him what Aiden said and he knew what I wanted to do. I had to tell Ana the truth. I started so many emails but at the end I couldn't send them. Not one. I didn't want to hurt her._

-Present day-

"What happened Aiden?"

I hear him sigh and then a car door close. "I need to tell you in person. I need you to meet me somewhere okay? I'll text you the address. Bring your brother we might need him."

"Okay." I hang up the phone and wait for his text message.

I call Jason and let him know we need to go meet him and finally drag myself out of my office. It's 7pm and the sun is starting to set. I send Leila a text saying that I'll be out late and she needs to go home until tomorrow. I get no response but 10 minutes later Gail texts Jason that she left the apartment after a temper tantrum. I watch out the window as the city goes by. After half an hour of driving and after we are across town we pull up to the club. Why the hell did he want to meet me here? A BDSM club. It's not a well known one but I've been here a couple of times. I see him get out of his car and he waves me over to him. He's parked in the back and he's hidden to where no one can find him unless they are actually looking for him.

"A BDSM club? Really Aiden."

He shakes his head. "I told you I'd explain so let me talk please." I nod and he continues. "I'll start at the beginning, dinner. We had dinner after I talked with you and Ana seemed fine, happy for the first time in years. The next morning I wake up and go to get Ana and I breakfast from a cafe around the corner when I come back all hell had already broken loose. The apartment was trashed, like someone was looking for something, so I immediately went to find Ana. When I checked her room her email was up and I swear to you now I still don't know who the fuck sent them but some anonymous person sent her pictures of you and one of your subs."

I sit down on the ground with my head in my hands shaking it from side to side. That's why she never reached out to me. "I looked for her though. For 5 years I've been looking for her Aiden."

"I know. Let me finish please. I found the contracts on the floor in my room scattered everywhere. Ana was no where to be found but the one room in the apartment I always said was storage was missing so I went to that room. I found her in my playroom but I couldn't stop her Christian. Those pictures that were sent to her were of you punishing your subs...Ana..." He closes his eyes and I swear he's going to cry. "She punished herself in the same way Christian. Every mark from the pictures was on her. She had whipped herself a lot harder than I think she thought because she was bleeding."

I choke back a sob and cover my eyes with my hands.

"I called Luke and he came to help me. I got her cleaned up and put her in bed. While she was asleep Luke and I took everything out of the playroom and burned it all. I even took the contracts that my sub's had signed and burned them. I stopped being a Dom the moment I saw her like that. I spent the next years saving her. The reason you couldn't find her is because she had someone make everything on her disappear. I don't know his name but she paid him enough money so he made it look like Anastasia Steele never existed. She changed her looks, you probably wouldn't recognize her unless you looked into her eyes. She quit her job and started her own publishing company that I had to help her salvage after a year so it didn't run into the ground. She's not in a good place Christian."

He's finally done talking and we are all three sitting on the ground. My Ana. I hurt her again. I should have told her the truth. If I'd told her maybe she wouldn't have done that. Why the fuck DID she do that? It doesn't make sense for her to hurt herself. He still hasn't answered the question why we are at a BDSM club. "Why are we here then Aiden?"

"Ana is here."

I find myself gasping for air and I barely hear Jason telling me to take deep breaths. After I get my breathing back to normal I stand up and start pacing back and forth running my hands through my hair. "Why is she here? She doesn't have a submissive bone in her body and she would never be a Dom."

He shakes his head. "She's neither. Quite frankly she's a masochist." I stop pacing and my jaw falls to the floor. "I can't go into any more of the clubs. She goes in there and before she even makes it out with a Dom she is getting punished. Most times I end up fighting the guy just to get her out. This has been happening for about a year now but Luke and I can't save her, she's just getting worse."

I think about everything he's said. She's doing this to feel pain. He has helped her. Luke has helped her. She obviously doesn't want their help because she keeps coming back. He said I could help her. How? I could go in there and drag her out but then what? What could I possibly do that would make her not want to just come back and get the shit beat out of her for her smart fucking mouth. _Prove to me I can trust you. _Ana's voice answers my question and I know what I can do. Shit! Leila. I can't take Ana back to Escala if Leila is coming there tomorrow, breaking it off over the phone wouldn't go down I'd need to do it in person so she would actually get it.

"Aiden. I can't go in there and drag her back to Escala. I have-"

"A sub coming tomorrow. I know, I figured. Look I know you know what you got to do. I'm staying with Luke tonight so you can take her back to the apartment here is the key. Please help her Christian. Be her dom, be her lover, be her friend...you know what you have to do. First you need to know what she looks like now so you can find her."

I watch him pull out his phone and he shows me her picture. Ana. Her hair is cut up to just above her shoulder with a lot of layers in it. It's still brown, normally I didn't like short hair but it looked kind of good on her. She was paler than normal and she looked broken, literally. There was no life in her eyes anymore. I nod my head and head off towards the entrance of the club. I tell Jason to wait in the car and then step inside to find her. I scan the crowd and it's not hard to find her. I slowly approach her and the fucker who thinks he has the right to touch what's mine.

"Anastasia." I use my Dom voice and she looks up at me.

"What the fuck do you want? She's taken."

I turn to the small fucker who talked and stand in front of him. "She's mine. I suggest you leave now."

"She's not yours. She has nothing saying that she belongs to you."

"We'll see." I turn to Ana and she has her head bowed to the floor, trying to be submissive but I can see the relief she feels by the way her shoulders are set. "Where is your purse Ana?" She points and I pick it up. _Please Ana still carry the damn necklace I got you. _I dig around and then find the silver chain in one of the pockets inside. I pull it out and place it around her neck. "Read it dick. She's mine." I see him read the necklace that says 'Christian' on it, I also have a matching chain that says 'Anastasia' on it. We got them when we passed some jewelery store she liked in the mall 10 years ago. "Come one baby. Let's go." I pick her up but the guy grabs my arm causing me to drop her. That's it!

"You can't just walk in here like you own the place and take her."

I laugh and nod. He wants to play like that fine. "Ana, wait here okay. I'll be right back." Normally right now I'd go get the owner and buy the fucking place but right now I just really want to punch the guy out and teach him a lesson. I walk a few paces away and then turn back and pounce on him. "DON'T. YOU. FUCKING. QUESTION. ME. AGAIN." I say the words in between punches. "SHE. IS. MINE!" I finally let him go and he thuds to the ground. I turn back to Ana and pick her up in my arms again. I walk out and people look at us but don't question it. As long as that chain is around her neck I had every right to kick that fuckers ass.

"Jason drive to the address Aiden gave us. I'll be staying at Ana's tonight you can go back to Escala and pick me up tomorrow."

I pull Ana close to me in the backseat and hold her close to me. _I promise no one will hurt you again baby. Not even me. I love you. _I make the promise in my head and after a few minutes she puts her arms around my waist and holds onto me as tight as she can.

"You came for me."

I kiss her on the top of her head. "I'll always come for you baby. Let's get you home then we can talk more. You're safe Ana."

We get to her apartment and I give her a bath and then make her something to eat. After she eats she seems to snap out of whatever haze she was in and notices that I'm actually still there with her.

"You don't have to stay Christian. I'll be fine."

I nod. "I know. I want to stay. I want to tell you the truth. I broke it off with Elena because I didn't want to be her sub anymore I wanted to be a Dom. That is what I became, she even subbed for me for a little bit. It wasn't long just a month. The first was Julie, she was okay but her hair wasn't brown enough it was more like blonde and brown and her eyes were brown. That lasted about 4 months. Britanie was next and she was closer. Her hair was brown with reddish highlights in the sun and her eyes were blue but they had a lot of green in them. That lasted for about 1 year and 8 months. Yes that is one of the longest subs I've had. When I saw you 5 years ago there was Hannah and she was way off, her hair was brown but it was too brown almost black and her eyes were green. She didn't listen and I fucking hated that. Since then there have been 11 more girls, the most current being Leila. None ever last for longer than a year and there is always something wrong with all of them."

I have to be honest with her. I have to tell her everything. Surprisingly it feels good to get it all out and have her know everything.

"Why are you telling me this Christian?"

"Because I want you to know. I should have told you years ago. It wasn't over Ana." Her eyes lift up to mine and I see the love she is trying to hide in them.

"It was over Christian. You didn't want me to know."

She stands up and I follow suit. "It wasn't over Ana! I didn't want you to know because I didn't ever want you to think I ever wanted you to be a fucking submissive to me. I don't want that!"

"Then what the hell do you want Christian!"

"YOU! I'll say it one more fucking time. It wasn't over and it still isn't over!" I cross the room to her and take her in my arms and our lips collide for the first time in a decade.

She takes a few seconds to respond but when she does it's mind blowing. Every thought flies out of my head and the only thing present is Ana. I grip her waist tighter and she puts her arms around my neck and her hands in my hair. Her tongue brushes against my lips at the same time mine does her and then they start doing their perfectly synchronized dance. In no time at all I feel her hands slip off my jacket and start undoing my tie and the buttons to my shirt. _Get control Grey. _I tell my subconscious to shove it and control is thrown from my mind. I've never had control with Ana and I've never wanted that. I lift her shirt off of her and throw it on the ground with my jacket, tie and shirt. I pull her up by her hips and she jumps to wrap her legs around my waist. We find the way to her room as we lose more clothing and by the time we reach her bed we are both gloriously naked and panting with need. I kiss my way down her neck and across her perfectly made breasts and hard pink nipples. She shudders when I take each one in my mouth and gently bite them. I move down her stomach and run my tongue in between her folds. _Damn she tastes like heaven. _I make my way back up her body and she rolls us over and makes the same path I made on her down my body and back up. Protection never crosses my mind nor hers as she lowers herself on my length. We both moan in pleasure and she starts to ride me slowly. We clasp our hands together and I roll us over one more time. I thrust into her a bit harder as we both work towards our release.

"Ana. Ana. I love you." I chant over and over as I release into her.

"Christian. I love you too." She whispers it to me as she finds her own release at the same time.

I roll her off of me and put my arms around her and pull her comforter over us. Her breathing slows and I know she's asleep. I close my eyes and pull her closer to my chest. _I got my girl. _We didn't plan to make love but it was bound to happen sooner or later. I had been honest with her and even though she didn't say anything I knew we had made a lot of progress tonight. We had a long way to go but something told me that we wouldn't be alone anymore. We'd be together.

The next morning I woke up when Jason called and told me he was outside because it was 9am and Leila would be at the apartment at 12. I had to end it with her. I kissed Ana goodbye, told her I had business to take care of, and told her I'd be back to get her and we'd go out to lunch. She said okay and I love you. I will never get tired of hearing her say those words. The drive back to Escala is quick and the moment I got in the car Jason started in on me.

"You got lucky little bro. At least this time it's the right girl. I remember when that Britanie chick got so pissed you moaned out Ana mid-orgasm. That was a hilarious story."

"Yeah. Shut up."

"Not in my job description. It's my right as an older brother. I'll be more than happy to kick Leila through the door though."

I laugh and we head up in the elevator together. He wishes me good luck and goes to the staff quarters to no doubt go back to bed with Gail. I head to my bedroom to take a shower and get ready to confront Leila in a couple of hours. I should have known something was wrong when I saw the photo album that had the pictures of Ana and I from 10 years ago sitting on my bed.

"Who is Ana, master?"

I turn around as I reach the bed and face Leila. "Leila we need to talk. What are you doing here? You're early."

"You love her?"

I nod. "Yes. Leila, I should have ended it with you a long time ago."

She shakes her head. "She can't give you what I can master." I turn around to press the button for Jason's help but the click from behind me makes me turn around again.

This time I'm not facing Leila, I'm facing the barrel of a gun. "Leila."

"If I can't have you, neither can she."

I hear the bang of the gun and then she slam of a door. I try to reach the button again while trying to find Leila past the black dots in my vision but then I notice I'm on the floor.

"CHRISTIAN!" I hear Jason scream and that's the last thing I remember before everything goes black.


	6. Chapter VI

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

I'm still so happy you guys like the story. It makes me happy. :)

Ana finds out about Christian but only after she makes a revelation. Characters from the past come back and it's epic. No pregnancy...yet. It will happen just not right now. I've already got that all planned.

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter VI**

_Every minute from this minute now,  
we can do what we like anywhere.  
I want so much to open your eyes,  
cause I need you to look into mine.  
Tell me that you'll open your eyes._

* * *

_-Throughout my life I've been through a lot and so have you. We've loved, we've lied, we've hurt each other (not intentionally), we've lost, we've missed each other fiercely, we've trusted each other when we could trust no one else, we've made mistakes (way more than just once), but most of all...we've learned. From every ounce of pain or lonesomeness we've felt, from every word we've said and those we didn't that felt like knives in our hearts we've learned from it all. I love you without knowing how to show you properly how much I love you, or when the exact moment was that fell for you, or where the feeling of loving you came from. I love you simply without problems or pride. I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving you. I realize now that in our relationship there is no I or you, it's simply us. What we have is so intimate that at night when I lay my head and my hand on your chest it feels like the most normal thing in the world. It's so intimate that you hold me as if I'm the angel in the middle of your darkness and that the moment when I finally fall into a deep sleep is the moment when you close your eyes. What we have is so much more than we could ever offer to anyone else but each other.-_

I placed the book back into my bag as I saw him walking to unlock the door. John Flynn, psychiatrist and the only guy besides Christian who was ever able to get me to tell him everything with nothing held back. I called him after Christian left this morning because I had a revelation and he was always saying it would come one day and that he wanted to know the moment it happened. I'm just lucky that A.) he was willing to come in on a Saturday to talk to me and B.) I'm on birth control because making love to Christian was not on my to-do list last night.

"Ana. I got you a coffee, Vanilla Bean Frappucino with no whipped cream."

I smile and take it from him as I follow him inside. "Thanks Flynn." My phone is on silent as he always requests so that he has my undivided attention. Once we are inside his office he sits down in his chair and I take my seat on the couch.

"Okay Ana you said you had a revelation and I'm guessing you want to talk about it. I knew it was coming so lets hear it." He clasps his hands around his Starbucks coffee cup and leans back to wait for me to talk.

I take a deep breath before I begin. "I saw him last night." He nods so I keep going. "I was at one of the clubs and all of a sudden he's there. It's like he just dropped from the sky or something, impossible I know but still best analogy I could think of. He fought for me, literally. I was about to leave with some guy, Dom, and he just shows up fighting for me."

"I see." I think I see something in his face like he knows exactly who I'm talking about but that's crazy, he can't know Christian. "What happened next?"

"He took me out of the club and took me to my apartment. The revelation happened in the car. I realized what purse I was carrying."

Before I could say anymore he shook his head and laughed. "You carry different purses on different occasions?"

"Yes. Come on you're married. Surely your wife does that too. A casual purse, a fancy purse, etc..."

He shrugs. "I don't notice those things, I guess."

I chuckle. "You should. Women like it Flynn."

"I'll try to remember to compliment my wife's purse the next time we go out. Back on track Ana, the revelation."

I take a sip of my drink. "I was carrying the purse I used when I was 16. I never used the purse after that summer but I realized in the car that whenever I went to one of those clubs that's the purse I chose to use. I didn't take anything out of it after that summer I only ever took out and put in my wallet for identification purposes." He nods and waits. "It had the necklace in it. One day that summer we went to the mall and we passed this jewelery store, they had a set of matching chain choker type necklaces you could get...I wanted a pair. It was romantic and they even had a manly one so Chri...**he**..." I corrected myself before I said Christian. I've never told him Christian's name. "...could wear too. After asking him and giving him a few innocent kisses he agreed and we had them put 'Anastasia' on one and his name on the other. Anyway, I think that after I learned that he chose that lifestyle. After I had Luke and Aiden tell me everything, I still wanted to be with him. I knew that it would be hard for him to give up that lifestyle after doing it for so long so I think I went to clubs hoping that I could learn to be enough for him. I also think that part of me was waiting for him to come save me like he always had in the past."

He seems to be thinking everything over. "That makes sense. From what you've told me about your past with this mystery guy I agree with you that maybe a part of your subconscious knew that you had a chance of him seeing you and saving you. It might have been a one in a million chance but it was a chance no less. So tell me, after he took you home what happened. You seem different today Ana."

I smile and take a longer sip of my drink. "He stayed. He got me cleaned up, made me macaroni and cheese, and he told me the truth. I already knew the truth but it...it was different."

"It meant more that he was telling you himself. That's what you wanted for years and it happened. I'm happy for you. What happened next?" He continues to drink his coffee and I continue my story.

"We talked. I asked him why he was telling me and he told me he wanted me to know everything. That he should have told me years ago, He also said it wasn't over back then. We argued and then he told me that he didn't tell me before because he didn't want me to think that he only wanted me to be like any of those other girls. He never wanted me to be his sub. I countered back and yelled at him what did he want and he told me he just wanted me. He kept repeating that it wasn't over and then he said it still wasn't over and...he kissed me."

I see his eyes widen and he splutters down his coffee. "He kissed you? How did that make you feel? It's very forward of him." I look at him questioningly and he seems to notice. "I mean with everything you've told me it would seem forward of him to just kiss you like that."

"It was. I wasn't expecting it and it caught me off guard but it felt right. It was like that favorite movie or TV show scene where the guy and girl come back together and everyone would clap and cry and be happy for them. I was happy for the first time in a decade. I had always wanted him to come back into my life and prove to me that he didn't want anything or anyone else and last night he did that. Well he started to do that. We made progress last night right? I mean if he told me about his past even thought I already knew it then he won't hold other things back from me right? We can move forward."

He doesn't get a chance to answer because his cell phone starts ringing. "Shit. Sorry Ana I forgot to put it on vibrate. It's my wife, do you mind?"

I shake my head. "No it's fine. Go ahead."

I decide to pull out my phone and see if Christian has called me. I'm surprised when I see have 30 missed calls and 7 text messages and a voicemail.

10 calls from an unknown number.

10 calls from Chris. That's weird since I haven't talked to him in almost 8 years if you don't count the once every other month emails we sent back just to make sure the other was alive.

10 calls from Aiden, along with 5 text's from him.  
_**Ana answer your damn phone! -Aiden  
ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE WOMAN! -Aiden  
Just got home and read your note. See you soon. -Aiden  
I'm almost to Flynn's office with Luke. ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE! -Aiden  
OK THAT'S IT I'M COMING IN AND YOU ARE COMING WITH ME ANASTASIA ROSE! -Aiden**_

What the hell is his problem? I hear him call out to me now. "ANASTASIA!" I look at Flynn and he's hung up his phone and is standing up now.

"Ana. I have to go, emergency. It sounds like you need to go too. I'll have Miranda call you and schedule something for this week. See you later."

"Okay. I hope everything's okay Flynn."

He nods and I could have sworn he mumbled 'so do I, for you and Christian.' I follow Flynn out to the lobby and we nearly collide with Aiden who is out of breath and looks horrified.

"Ana! You done? Great! We gotta go. NOW!" He doesn't wait for me to answer he just grabs my hand and runs me out to Luke's car.

Luke is driving like a madman and Aiden is talking into his phone before I can even buckle my seat belt in the back seat.

"YES! I found her okay! No fucking duh I have her with me, we are on our way now." I hear Aiden pause and he looks back at me and I see the sadness in his eyes but he doesn't give me a chance to question it. He turns around again and answers the person on his phone. "No. I thought it would come better from someone like Chris or Jason or you. We're about 4 minutes away now, Luke is driving like a lunatic. Alright yeah I got it, get her there in one piece." He hangs up and curses under his breath.

"Who was that Aiden and where are we going?"

He takes a deep breath and meets my eyes in the rear view mirror. "That was Carrick Grey and we are going to Christian." He looks down and Luke just looks like he's in pain.

How the hell did Aiden meet Carrick? Why does he want Carrick to tell me, and what for that matter? I look out the window and see that we are parking in the hospital parking lot. "Why are we at the hospital? Wait, you said we were going to Christian. What the hell is wrong?" Neither of them answer me they just drag me out of the car. "AIDEN TYLER SAWYER!" I yank my arm away from him and start shaking. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" He still doesn't answer me. Something is wrong. The worse possible scenarios start running through my mind. I can't lose him. I just got him back. "Aiden please." I beg him and I can hear the tears in my voice and feel them coming down my cheeks.

"Ana lets go just a little bit more and they'll tell you." He tries to take my hand again and I yank it away.

"NO! WHERE IS CHRISTIAN? HE HAS TO BE OKAY AIDEN!"

Suddenly I feel two familiar arms wrap around my shoulders and I turn around and immediately return the embrace. "Ana banana. He'll be okay. Mom will fix it."

"I need him Elliot. I can't lose him again. Not after everything we've been through." I cry into his chest and fall to my knees. He comes with me.

"I know. Let's go check on him. I'll carry you. I've missed you Ana, we all have."

He picks me up bridal style and I lift my head enough to see that Kate, Mia, and Ethan are behind him. They all meet my eyes and I can see the words they can't speak. They have faith that he'll be okay and that we'll be okay. Aiden and Luke follow them quietly and I can see the pain on each of their faces. We get in the elevator and we go up about 5 floors until we step out and I hear more voices from my past.

"ANNIE!" Chris, he immediately takes me from Elliot and sits down in a chair with me in the waiting room. He strokes his hand down my hair and kisses my forehead. "He'll be okay."

"Anastasia!" I see Grace and Carrick at the same time and they come to sit next to Chris and I.

"Christian?" I ask the three of them hopefully.

Grace sighs and takes my hand. "Come on. He just woke up and he's asking for you." I hesitate to go with her when I notice the rest of his family take their seats, even Jason. "He wants to see you first Ana. We all understand. Jason filled us in on everything."

I look over to him and he nods but mouths the words 'not the subs. Only you two.' I nod and follow Grace out of the waiting room. "Is he going to be okay Dr. Grey?"

"Grace dear and honestly I hope so. He's still touch and go right now. I was so afraid earlier that we lost him."

I gasp. "Lost him?"

She nods sadly and puts her arm around my shoulders as we slow our walk. "During surgery he coded. Flat lined. He died. I watched them shock him with the paddles 6 times. After that they were about to call it but the monitors started beeping again. I don't know what it was but something brought him back maybe God sent him back I don't know." I nod my head. It was a miracle. I don't know what I would have done if he hadn't survived. We reach his door and she pulls me against her chest. "You've always been my daughter Ana. I always knew you and Christian would end up together forever. You are his strength Ana. He will survive this if not for himself or any of his family he will survive for you sweet girl. I'll be in the waiting room with the family. Take your time."

I pull back from her and wipe my eyes. "Thank you Grace. I'm sorry for not keeping in touch." She waves it off and then leaves down the hallway again.

I turn the handle and go in his room. He looks so small, like a little boy. So many needles and monitors hooked up to him. He's got a bandage on his chest and it makes me see red that someone hurt MY Christian. That person's head will roll when I'm done with them. He looks up as I walk in and he smiles at me.

"You came for me."

I smile as he repeats my words from last night. I go to sit next to his bed and I move the hair off his forehead. "I'll always come for you baby."

He scoots over and motions for me to get on the bed with him. I crawl under the covers and pull his head on my chest. His arms go around my and I kiss the top of his head. "I love you Ana. Always baby. You know that right?"

I nod my head with my chin on the top of his head. "I know. I was so scared when Aiden and Luke brought me here. I swear I will murder whoever did this to you. Their head will roll and I swear I will put the fear of God in them."

He chuckles. "I don't doubt that baby." He kisses my chest and I purr. "I love that sound almost as much as your giggling or your snoring. It's a close tie."

"I. Do. Not. Snore." I say each word clearly and slap his arm lightly.

"Yes you do baby. I do too so we fit."

I roll my eyes but he can't see me. "I was terrified when Grace told me you flat lined. I don't know what I'd do without you Christian."

He takes a deep breath. "You saved me. It was you that brought me back."

I scoot down and lay my head on the pillow so I can look into his eyes. "What do you mean babe?"

He kisses my lips softly and then answers me. "I saw you. There was also a little boy. He was running around in a meadow and we were following him. He looked like me except he had your brown hair with my gray eyes. He was beautiful. I never heard his voice but I heard yours. You told me that you needed me to come back because you needed me and that we had so much to look forward to in life. I saw your face and then you kissed me. The next thing I remember is opening my eyes and chaos erupted in the OR. You saved me Ana."

I listen to his story and it brings tears to my eyes. "I love you Christian. So much."

"I love you too Ana. Please don't leave me. I know I'll fuck up, a lot. I don't know how to be a boyfriend. I'll be horrible at it but please don't leave me." He looks into my eyes and I can see he's begging me.

"I won't leave you Christian."

We both hear the knock on the door and I sit back up and Christian lays his head back on my chest. He says come in and then I see the one person I never expected to see.

"Flynn?" I look at Christian as he says his name at the same time I do.

Flynn chuckles and takes the chair and sit at the end of Christian's bed. "Ana. Christian. Two of my favorite patients and both good friends. I trust that you've figured out by now that over the years I've been treating the both of you I had put together that you always meant each other when you spoke of the one person you love."

"How?" I ask the question and he chuckles.

"Not many people tell the exact same story of meeting when they were 16 and having the time of their lives until it all went to hell because of, and I will quote Ana, a bottle blonde bitch troll."

Christian and I laugh and Flynn joins in.

"You never said anything Flynn."

He turns towards Christian to answer him. "It wasn't my place. Confidentiality. Now that it's all out in the open if you ever want to combine your appointments you can. Yet if you want to keep them separate that's fine too." We nod and he stands up. "Well I'll let you rest Christian. I just wanted to come see how Carrick was holding up after Grace called and said you were in the hospital. You seem to be in good hands now."

Christian pulls me closer and nuzzles my chest. "The best Flynn."

"I don't doubt that. Oh and Ana, I forgot to answer your question this morning. Yes. I do have hope that now, together, you and Christian can move forward and have a very good future. It won't be easy. In fact it might be really hard but if you are honest and open, I'm sure you'll be okay. You both love each other more than most couples I've ever counseled or known. I'll see you both later. Get well soon Christian."

I watch him leave and I'm surprised he answered my question. I know that what he said will be true. It will be a long hard road for Christian and I but it wouldn't be our epic story if it was easy. He wouldn't be my fifty shades. I feel his breathing even out and I know he's falling asleep. I run my hands through his hair and kiss his head gently. "Sweet dreams baby. I'm right here." He nuzzles into my chest and holds me tighter. I take the extra pillow and put it behind my head and lean back into it. I kiss his head one more time and then give into sleep myself.

That night I dream of Christian and the boy he told me about. The one possible future that Christian and I look forward to. Happiness and Family.


	7. Authors Note

I'm sorry for not uploading a real chapter. My computer is away getting fixed and all I have is my phone. I will upload soon I have one chapter complete on there, ready to upload and I have the next almost perfect on my phone. Please be patient and stick with me. In the mean time here is something I put together, yes I was bored.  
My fifty shades cast list. Or at least who I picture as the characters. If you don't know some names you can google them or just ask and I'll tell you what they played in that I know them from.

Christian- Ian Somerhalder  
Anastasia- Nina Dobrev  
Elliot- Jacob Young

Mia- Ashley Greene  
Kate- Natalie Hall  
Elena- Jamie Luner

Carrick- Pierce Brosnan  
Grace- Maura Tierney  
Aiden- Tate Ellington

Luke- Josh Holloway  
Jason- Matthew Fox  
Christopher- Colin Egglesfield

Sam (who you will meet)- Ariana Grande


	8. Chapter VII

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

I'm still so happy you guys like the story. It makes me happy. :)

Sorry I haven't been able to update for a while. I had a virus on my computer and I had to get it cleaned off and get new protection. I've also been sick and feeling yucky. Never fear though I'm back and I'm sorry for the wait. There'll be no song lyrics at the beginning the song will be in the chapter. You will also see a flashback of that one summer that changed their lives. You'll get these every now and then.

COMPUTER IS FIXED AND RUNNING PERFECTLY! THAT MEANS MORE UPDATES ON THIS STORY AND LONGER CHAPTERS FOR FIFTY SHADES OF CHANGES! :) :)

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter VII**

_We're happy, young, and carefree. Mia and Ethan are laying on the beach listening to music while the rest of us are hiking to the top of the falls so we can jump. I know Ana is nervous about it but she wants to do it for some reason unknown to me. In fact she hit me repeatedly when I kept telling her she didn't have to. My defiant, smart mouthed, strong willed, beautiful, amazing Ana. _

"_Hey slowpokes are you guys even walking still or are you fucking up against a tree?" I hear Elliot laugh as what I can only imagine I hear is Kate slapping him across the chest._

_Ana stops and looks down at her feet. Damn it Elliot, you made my girl uncomfortable,. We aren't even near the having sex stage yet. "FUCK OFF LELLIOT!" I yell it at him and take Ana's hand in mine. "It's okay baby. We can go as slow as you want." She stares at our intertwined hands and I mentally slapped myself. Nice going Grey. "I meant the hike...not...I mean I..."_

_She cuts me off when she presses a kiss to my cheek. "It's okay Christian. We'll get there babe." What is with the double meaning behind these phrases today?_

_I smile down at her and we continue our walk. We talk some more about our dreams for the future. We both want to start our own businesses and she even tells me she would like to write a book, not publish it but maybe just write it for her children. I tell her that's nice and then tell her if I ever had kids I would want a boy, a girl, and then maybe one more boy. I've never thought about a family before but it sounds nice as long as I have Ana next to me. A couple of boys with my looks might not be so bad and a girl who looks as beautiful as Ana. Two boys of course so they can protect their sister like Elliot and I protect Mia. Elena's always told me that I'd be a failure at family, I'm not cut out for it but Ana...she gives me hope. Ana makes me want to work hard so that I'm not a failure to her or our family when we decide to start one. When? Fuck most teenagers would think IF they had a family, if they were thinking about it at all. I also know that Ana and I are not like most teenagers. I know I'll only have a family with Ana, it will always be Ana for me. I may be 16 and have my whole life ahead of me but I'll never meet anyone who can push my buttons one minute and love me the next like only Ana can. I only like it when it's Ana pushing me, if it's anyone else they get a punch in the face or a rude comment. I don't even really like it when my family pushes my buttons but I can't hit them or be rude to them so I just ignore it and tolerate it when I can. It's only been six days but I've fallen for this girl and I don't want to ever get up. She tells me that she wants to raise her family outside the city, perhaps here at the lake. I can't stop myself from picturing it all in my mind. It seems nice. Finally we break through the bushes and arrive at the top of the falls. Elliot and Kate are waiting for us as expected._

"_Finally. I didn't think you had that much stamina little bro."_

_I open my mouth to reply but Ana cuts me off. "Fuck of Lelliot."_

_Kate and I bust out laughing along with Ana and Elliot eventually joins in. "Touche Ana. You've picked up Christian's favorite phrase quite quickly. Welcome to the family Ana banana." I watch as Elliot grabs Ana from my side in a big hug and spins her around. He accepts her, he likes her. I thought I'd be jealous as hell seeing Ana in any other man's arms but mine but watching my older brother with her made me feel nothing but happiness. I wanted him to like her, I wanted Mia to like her...which she loves Ana probably more so than she loves Kate...I want my family to accept her as one of their own. _

"_Okay well we climbed up here for a reason so I'm jumping." Elliot laughs at Kate after putting Ana down and then grabs her around the waist and launches them off the top of the falls."ELLIOT GREY I'LL KILL YOU!" Ana and I laugh as we hear what Kate screams on the way down._

"_Shall we Ana?" I hold my hand out in front of me and motion for her to jump first. "Ladies first." I'm not quite as comfortable with public displays of affection like Elliot and Mia. The most I've ever done with Ana in public is hold her hand. _

_She looks down and I see her tense up. "Um...how about you go first?" She looks up at me with those damn puppy dog eyes. That look alone should be illegal._

_I shake my head. "Together." She steps back away from the edge and away from me. _

"_Actually I think I'll go back down." I can hear the shaking in her voice._

_I gently grab her hand and interlock our fingers. Is she scared of heights? Damn it why didn't she tell me! I wouldn't have let them talk us into coming. "Are you afraid baby?" She bites her lip hesitantly and then nods. I step closer to her and stroke her cheek with my fingertips. "Want to know a secret baby?"_

"_What?"_

_I lean in and kiss her cheek and whisper in her ear. "I'm scared of heights too." I pull back from her and she looks into my eyes with curiosity._

"_But...but haven't you jumped before?"_

_I shake my head. "No. I never wanted to before." She cocks her head to the side and her eyes are lighting up. It's no surprise that she picks up on the double meaning behind my words. I had never felt like jumping off the falls before nor had I ever felt the need to jump over the edge and fall in love either. "But...if you jump, I jump." I step back and hold out my hand to her._

_She smiles and kisses my cheek and takes my hand. "Together."_

_We walk to the edge and I tighten my grip on her hand. "On two."_

_She laughs and looks at me confused. "What happened to three? Everyone goes on three."_

_I laugh back and wink at her. "Who wants to be part of everyone?"_

_"On two then."_

_I take a deep breath and start counting. "One." I see her look at me and then she starts to look down. "Don't look down baby. Look right at me." Our eyes meet and I know we are both ready. For love. For the water. For the unknown. As long as we jump together we can face anything. "Two." We jump and our hands stay locked together. Seconds later we hit the water and once we come back up I take her in my arms and pull her against me. "I love you Ana."_

_She turns around and puts her arms around my kneck. "I love you too Christian."_

I know I'm dreaming but I don't want to wake up. I want to live in this memory just a little while longer. It was the moment that I fell in love with Ana and she miracuously fell for me too. It was the first time I told her I loved her. It was also the first and only time I ever thought about having a family and actually felt like it could happen.

"I like the way I can't keep my focus. I watch you talk but you didn't notice. I hear the words but all I can think is we should be together. Every time you smile, I smile, and every time you shine, I'll shine for you. Whoa oh, I'm feeling you baby. Don't be afraid to jump then fall. Jump then fall into me. Be there, never gonna leave you. Say that you want to be with me too. So I'm a stay through it all so jump then fall."

I open my eyes and watch her. She has her headphones in dancing around the room singing and looks to be setting up breakfast on the small table for me. Taylor Swift, fitting song considering what I was just dreaming. I sit up in the bed and wince slightly as I feel the sting of pain in my chest, damn Leila. Ana turns around and jumps a little when she sees me but takes out on of her earbuds and smiles at me.

"It's rude to stare." She has her hands on her hips and she's raising her eyebrows at me.

"I wasn't staring. I was gazing. I've read it's romantic."

She smiles and nods her head. "So it is. Still trying for hearts and flowers?"

I nod. "Only with you."

Damn she still looks sexy as hell when she blushes. The small part of my mind that is thinking rationally realizes that this is the first time I've spent more than 1 hour just TALKING with her in years. Taking her home and making love to her doesn't count as getting reaquainted right? "I went out and got breakfast this morning. I'm sorry it's nothing fancy just breakfast tacos from Whataburger."

"It's fine Ana. Will you sit and eat with me please? I need you." I pull the covers back and pat the bed next to me. _Please say yes baby. I can't lose you again, not after being this close to you. _

She grabs the table and wheels it over in front of me and crawls in next to me. "You expect me to leave? I just got you back. You're stuck with me now Christian Trevelyn Grey."

We laugh and start eating. Bacon, egg, and cheese...she still remembered my favorite from Whataburger. This woman is fucking amazing. "What happened Christian?"

I set my taco down and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and pinch the bridge of my nose. "I'm so sorry Ana. I'm sorry for what I'm about to say but hell I'm done keeping things from you baby. When I left your place I went home and was going to break things off with Leila. Her contract had to end officially and-"

"Wait." I look over at her and she's paused in midair about to take a bite of her taco. "You slept with me while you still had a sub?!" I'm surprised when she looks at me with shock in her eyes.

"Yes." I answer hesitantly. _Are you that pissed at me baby? __Please please please don't be too upset. I can't stand that, it's hard enough just telling you._

"You cheated on her. I'm the other woman. Ugh...God Christian how could you DO that?!" She gets up and starts pacing in front of me.

I push the table away and stand up. "I...Things were over a long time ago with Leila, I just never officially told her it was over. Honestly I haven't been with her...sexually...in months. Usually it's just whipping and flogging her until-" I stop myself when the image of Ana in that damn club comes to my mind. _Can't take her in your playroom now can you Grey? What will you do? _"It wasn't a real relationship at all Ana. I didn't love her, I barely even cared for her. I only cared because that was my job as her dominant."

She walks over to me and pushes me back down onto the bed. "Sit down babe. You shouldn't have done that Christian. No matter what the relationship was like, I mean if you did it to her you could easily cheat on me with the next brunette with blue eyes and a nice body walks by you."

I shake my head. "No. No I could never do that Ana."

"What makes you so confident about that Christian? We've known each other what 2 days?"

"10 years. It's been 10 fucking years Anastasia. I've loved YOU for 10 years."

She sighs and sits on the bed next to me. "Technically yes. But Christian...most of those years have been spent apart and in silence between us. We don't know who each other is anymore. We knew who we were at 16, people change and grow up. I don't know the 26 year old dominant CEO and can you honestly say you know me? There is a difference at loving someone and being IN LOVE with someone. I love you Christian but things are different now."

Damn my baby is smart. That is one thing I love about her, her smart brain and her fucking smart mouth. I want to say yes. That is what I want, but I have to admit she's right. I don't know this her. I don't know the girl who is sitting right next to me. She's still Ana I know that but I don't know the 26 year old who built her own company, is best friends with Aiden and damn it I want to know her! "I want to know you. I love you."

"I love you too. AND I want to know you too. So how about we get started now?"

I nod and we settle back onto the bed. "So Ana, how did you meet Aiden? You seem close to him." Neutral conversation topic. I've talked to Aiden and he's a good guy. I could even see myself being friends with him.

"I met him after I moved. I'll tell you the story if you eat." She points towards my forgotten food. I eagerly pick it up and start eating. "It was after the first month of school, he lived next door but I avoided him at all costs up until that day. I had a lot of classes with him and he tried to talk to me but I only gave him one word answers. Jake, the biggest dick in the school, had been coming onto me since day one. I never gave him any intention that I even liked him but he wouldn't take no for an answer. I didn't know Aiden was watching out for me until after Gym class one day. Jake was messing with me again and then cornered me to try and get me to give into him. Before he could even touch me Aiden punched him in the jaw and thoroughly kicked his ass. He may not look like it but he can kick ass if he needs to. On the walk home, since neither of us had cars, we got to know each other. I asked him why he didn't want me the same way Jake did and he said he was gay and although I was beautiful he wouldn't be attracted to me that way. It was fine with me. I told him about you and I'll never forget what he told me after I got done telling him about that summer. 'He still loves you and you still love him. Assumptions can do more damage than the truth Anastasia. Remember that.' After that we were inseparable. We graduated and went to NYU together. Both majored in English but I graduated with masters in business too. We had internships at SIP, but then I quit and started Steele Publishing. Aiden saved it, I almost ran it into the ground and he saved it. After that I made him my partner and now we both own half of it, we are even thinking of renaming it."

I have a new respect for the man now. He's been there for Ana when I should have been. She trusts him and she listens to him. "It's good you have him. He sounds like a great guy. Have there been other guys in your life?" I think I have a right to know if she's had other partners. A part of me also wants her to say no though I know I have no right to.

She takes a big bite of her taco and shakes her head. "No. Although I will say I've shared a bed with Aiden. There was nothing ever sexual about that."

I can see the pain in her eyes because she knows my record is not nearly as spotless. I know I can at least tell her the one thing that hopefully might make it easier for her to trust me. "I've never had a woman who wasn't you in my bed either Ana." She looks up at me in shock and it's moments before she talks again.

"Your subs?"

I shake my head. "They always had their own room. They never slept with me and I only fucked them in the playroom. I never got close to them and the moment they started to want more I ended it." I laugh a little and decide to lighten the mood a little. "You know you should ask Jason how much money he made off his little bets each time I got a new sub."

She goes back to eating and cocks an eyebrow at me. "Bets?"

I nod and take a sip of my coffee. "Mhmm. $100 each time I said 'Ana' or 'Anastasia' while with them. I swear he could probably buy a mansion."

We both end up laughing and I smile when I see her relax. The rest of the morning and afternoon passes with us just getting to know each other. We haven't changed that much, we just got older and more mature. In some areas. In others I can see us both wanting to hold onto the innocence that bonded us together. I was honest with her about my relationship with Elena and how I felt bad for her after Linc found out about us and beat her within an inch of her life. I wasn't shocked to hear that she too wanted to beat Elena but I was shocked when she told me that my being a silent partner in the salons was my business and none of her concern.

"You are coming to stay with me when you're released. I've already talked to Aiden and he's moving some of your things to my room with Jason as we speak."

I roll my eyes and sigh dramatically. We've been on this subject all afternoon. "Escala will be perfectly safe."

She shakes her head. "No. Not with a psycho ex trying to shoot you. She has no clue where I live and honestly I don't want you out of my sight. Plus, this might work to our advantage. You the very hot patient in need of some help and me being the nice person I am might just play nurse for you."

Fuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkk. She made it hard to concentrate on anything but her words and her hand moving up my thigh. I heard myself groan as her hand reached its destination, my very hard member. "Ana. If you don't stop-" Aren't we supposed to be getting to know each other? _Shut up Grey and make love to your woman! _

"Who said I want to stop? Do you want me to stop?" I shake my head. _DON'T FUCKING STOP BABY!_

She climbs on my lap straddling me and runs her tongue across my bottom lip. I groan again and she giggles. I grab her face in my hands and kiss her like there won't be a tomorrow. Slowly my hands make their way down to the ends of her t-shirt. Instead of taking it off I just slip my hands under it and start massaging her breasts. I swallow her moans in my mouth and she starts moving her hand up and down over my length.

"Shit. Ana. Damn." I kiss and nibble her neck and collarbone. I move one hand down her body and into her panties. "Hmm so wet Ana." I insert one finger and start to tease her.

"Christian."

I smile against her neck. "Tell me what you want baby."

"More." She nearly growls the word into my neck and I chuckle at her.

I insert one more finger and move faster. I rub my thumb against her clit and her breathing changes as does mine when she moves faster against my hard length.

"Oh God. In a hospital SERIOUSLY?!"

We both open our eyes and lock them on Aiden who is standing in the doorway with his eyes tightly shut. He's also laughing so hard I can see him turning red.

"Aiden what the hell!" Ana climbs off of the bed but I keep an arm around her waist. She's still trying to calm her breathing and rearrange her skirt.

"I knocked Ana but it seems you two were too preoccupied to hear me. I'll just deliver the message and then get out so you can go back to your...activities."

I turn my head to face him and raise my eyebrows at him. "What message?"

He sighs and sits on the end of my bed. "Be prepared to laugh your ass off dude." He is probably the only one I will allow to call me dude. EVER! "The bottle blonde bitch is downstairs demanding to see you. Jason won't let her up but when he let me up, after high fiving me by the way, she literally made me drop to my knees laughing. She said and I quote, 'Taylor Christian needs me more than he needs that poor excuse for a security guard. He looks gay actually.' then I laughed and turned around and told her 'I'm not his security guard I'm actually more than that. I'll give him the message that you're here and yes I am very happy THANK YOU!', then I came up here. Damn you should have seen her face. It was priceless. Jason said to call him though and let him know how to deal with her. If I were you I'd tell him to shove her fake botoxed ass in a cab and send her packing."

Okay so I'm definitely looking forward to living with Aiden now. He is hilarious. I still can't stop laughing and neither can Ana. I can only imagine what Elena's face looked like when he said he was more than my security guard. I would have paid money to see that exchange just because I know the facial expressions alone would be hilarious. I pick up my phone and call Jason.

"Jas, get rid of Elena."

"**Sorry bro, she got by me and she's on her way up. For an old woman she moves fast. Fuck I'm losing her what does she have a motor scooter stashed up her vagina!"**

I laugh and hear Jason laugh too. "Probably but I don't want to dig around and find out."

"**Nah you just want to dig around Ana's."**

"Okay good bye now brother." I hang up as he is laughing. Damn him and his 'brotherly rights' he's fucking worse than Elliot.

I turn to Ana and Aiden. "Elena is on her way up. I'm sorry baby. Jason tried to stop her." Just then the door opens and in comes the devil woman herself.

"Christian darling! I'm so sorry I wasn't up sooner I had some things to take care of." She walks forward to kiss my cheek but Aiden stands up in front of her and holds out his hand.

"Hello again. Aiden Sawyer, Christian's dude."

I look down and try to stifle a laugh. I see Elena walk to the other side of the bed ignoring his hand and then she is stopped again when Ana stands up in front of her.

"Who is this Christian?" I don't answer her. Aiden speaks up.

"She is Christian's girl. I thought that was plain obvious. By the way, she is happy too before you call her out on it." I see Ana chuckle a little bit and Elena scowls at Aiden.

He is going to be a riot.

"I never knew you'd bring her around your family darling." She turns back to Ana. "Why don't you be a dear and go get us something to drink."

Finally Ana speaks. "Okay." She walks over to the table that Aiden rolled away and grabs her now cold coffee. "Here you go E-le-na." She drags out her name and then pours the coffee over Elena's head. Damn my woman has a bad side. Something tells me I don't want to be on the receiving end of that.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are little girl-"

"I AM THE ONE WHO TAUGHT HIM HOW TO LOVE! YOU just taught him how to FUCK! Now get the hell out before I do what I should have done 10 years ago and drag you out by your fake ass hair extensions." I can see the anger in Ana's eyes but I also see the love.

Elena stands her ground in front of Ana. Damn it, she is in her dom stance. "I remember you now. You are the little girl who thinks she can be enough for him. I will tell you that you can talk the talk but I don't think you have what it takes to throw me out."

Ana cocks her head to the side and then starts to turn around. Once Elena starts to turn back to me Ana seizes her hair and literally drags her to the door. "Do not underestimate me Elena Lincoln." She opens the door and shoves Elena out. "I know more about you than you think. Do not think for one minute I will cower down to the likes of you. Now I suggest you take your pitiful botoxed self downstairs and home before Grace gets here. Unless you want her to kick your ass for overhearing this conversation."

The door slams and Ana turns back to me. I open my arms and she comes to them willingly. I stroke her hair and kiss the top of her head. "Ana. What did you mean when you told her you know more than she thinks you do?"

She looks up at me. "She has a secret Christian. I know what it is but I can't tell it. I'm sorry. I found out by accident."

I kiss her forehead. "It's okay baby. You don't have to tell me. I just want you to know that you handled Elena very well."

Aiden nods in agreement. "You did Ana. I give you major kudos for that. I gotta go tell Luke and Jason they will have a field day with this!" He gives her a high five and then leaves the room nearly skipping.

I laugh a little bit. "Maybe it won't be too bad living with Aiden. Ana, look at me please." She looks into my eyes and I can see the fear she's trying to hide. She knows that Elena is powerful, she is respected and she is not someone who you want as an enemy but Ana has one thing Elena doesn't...ME. "I won't let her do or say anything about you Ana. We face this together. On two." I smirk at her and give her my 1000 kilowatt smile.

She smiles back and nuzzles into my chest. "On two."

We hold each other for the rest of the evening. Aiden comes back with Elliot and Luke to bring us dinner and then we fall asleep holding each other. We figured out a lot today but the one thing that I know for sure now.

Nothing and no one will separate Ana and I again. I have my baby back for good. Now I just have to catch Leila and make sure Elena has no plans to make Ana's life hell.


	9. Chapter VIII

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

I'm still so happy you guys like the story. It makes me happy. :)

Next chapter will have a lot of action.

The chapters are still alternating between Christian's POV and Ana's POV. So now it's Ana's. Just a refresher.

Read and Review, please!

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**Chapter VIII  
**

_-Family. We are a strange band of people trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one __another__ deserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms along with various other rooms, and playing practical jokes on each other. We love, we laugh, we __defend__ and we are still trying to figure out the common thread that binds us all together. Family. That is the one thing that we have all been missing in our lives yet now we seem to have found that. We have found the people who make us feel completely happy, sad, anxious, angry, loved, vulnerable, and completely accepted all at the same time. Family wasn't all we had found, we had also found our home. I used to think that the house you lived in was your home but I was wrong. __Home is not a place, it is people. People hold the power to make a place their home. It doesn't matter where you are physically or where you are in your life, it could be in a box under a bridge, a mansion in Bellevue, a penthouse in the middle of Seattle, or even the three bedroom two bathroom apartment that the three of us now occupied. I know it sounds cheesy but whoever said home is where your heart is, was completely right.-_

Christian had spent a week in the hospital. Aiden spent a lot of time there and a strong friendship quickly grew between them. Grace and Carrick were never too far away from Christian and they kept thanking me over and over for coming back into their sons life. I never knew just how much he missed me and was really sorry for everything until Grace had brought a stack of letters to the hospital that he had wrote to me everyday after that summer. 426 letters in all and I'd read all of them. Elliot and Kate had gotten married a year ago and lived in Vancouver. Mia had just gotten back from Paris and was about to open her own clothing store. Ethan owned his own bar and was engaged to a girl named Tabitha. Christian had filled me in on his family after a couple of days and I asked him why they had all left after finding out he was going to live. Christian and I were not the only ones to grow apart after that summer, he told me that his relationship with both Elliot and Mia were never the same. They hardly ever spoke unless it was a family dinner or birthday or one of them was in trouble. That week in the hospital I had observed Christian a lot. He was lonely and as much as he tried to hide it he couldn't. He lost his family and he lost part of himself, I couldn't help but blame Elena Lincoln for it all.

Once he got to the apartment with Aiden and I he began to loosen up. He smiled more and we were all happy. Aiden played video games with him a lot while I was at work and after a couple of days he was getting his ass kicked by Christian Grey. Who knew the CEO would be a video game extraordinaire. Aiden and I took turns on who went into work and played the big bad boss role with the employees, we were no where near as good as it as Christian is. Over time I could tell Christian like living with Aiden and I, we all laughed a lot more and we had a lot of fun.

"Oh my God. Christian how much salt did you put in the cookie dough?!" I coughed after taking a taste. Note to self supervise Christian when you teach him how to make cookies.

He shrugged. "It said a pinch of salt so I shook a little from the salt shaker. Why? Does it taste horrible?"

I laugh at him. "Here taste it." I get a bit on the tip of my index finger and put it in his mouth. He sucks it off and then makes a funny face. "I love that face. I think you need some more." This time when I have the cookie dough on my finger I wipe it on his cheek after he opens his mouth.

"Ana." He growls and grabs the bowl from me. Lucky for me there are two bowls so I quickly grab the other one. "Someone is being naughty. And a tease. And needs to be taught a lesson." He didn't step towards me, instead he scooped some dough up with his index and middle finger and threw it at me.

Needless to say that started a fight. Quickly I had flipped over the kitchen table while he hid behind the wall leading to the living room. We each had nearly emptied our bowls and were covered in cookie dough. "Truce?" I throw the word out there and hear him laugh.

"Oh no baby. Now we have to get clean."

Oh God I can just imagine his facial expression. I sneak a peek over the table and sure enough he's standing there wiggling his eyebrows and has that lusty hungry look in his eyes. Damn I can't resist him. I upright the table and then launch myself at him. Our lips meet in a hungry kiss and we lick and suck the cookie dough off each others faces and necks. Why didn't I think of this before? This is so fucking hot.

"OH MY GOD WHAT DID YOU TWO DO TO THE KITCHEN?!" We both freeze and look at Aiden who is now standing at the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest still wearing his suit from work. He looks pissed. I follow Christian's eyes around the kitchen and quickly see why. The place is a mess and cookie dough is not only still on me and Christian but on the counters, refrigerator, floor, coffee machine, toaster, microwave, window...everything.

"Uh...we...we were making cookies." I answer him weakly and Christian laughs behind me.

He nods stiffly. "Okay and you!" He points at Christian and he stops laughing but is still smiling very very big. "You think this is funny? THIS is not funny. But this is." He runs to the fridge and grabs some whip cream and starts spraying both Christian and myself. We scream and then he throws us each various sweet food toppings and the food fight continues. We never stop laughing and after hours and hours of playing we finally all decide to clean the kitchen, which takes about another 2 hours because we all get distracted very easily.

Twice a week Aiden went out and left Christian and I alone for what he called 'sex-a-palooza'. On those nights clothes were nonexistent and we never left my bedroom. We hadn't talked about the BDSM stuff and I think Christian was afraid to. We did have some kinky moments but we never fucked, we always made love. When Aiden came home the first night I had been in the kitchen making myself some tea while Christian was asleep. This is when I realized things would eventually go from good to bad.

"Ana. Something happened."

I turned around and looked at Aiden. He looked like hell and he was holding out pictures to me. They were pictures of us all in the apartment, going out to dinner, going to Grace's, our every move. Someone is watching us and they have camera's in our apartment. "Aiden. Who is it?"

He sighed and sat down across the table from me. "I'm pretty sure it's Elena or Leila. The storage room at the office was torn apart this morning and all the papers are gone. No fingerprints, no leads. My computer at work was hacked into and fed a virus and so was yours. Ana, I don't think Christian is the one being watched. Most of these pictures are of you and me...I think we are the targets Ana."

I nod my head. "I know. I just don't know what to do. We had it all ready and now...now we don't have a plan."

"I do but you won't like it." I listen to his plan. He's thought it through and there are very few ways it could backfire. Grace would be in on it and we'd need a lawyer who we could trust which I already knew of one. Aiden was right though, I don't like his plan. It would keep Christian safe though and give us time to build our evidence back up around Elena and Leila. I hate that I'll probably agree to his plan. We both decide to keep this from Christian so he burns the pictures and we don't talk about it again until the threats started coming in.

After three and a half weeks I had finally given into Christian and went into Escala with him. He was thinking about selling it but wanted me to see it first. I had also given into Aiden's plan and I knew time was limited. Our plan would go into action soon and it scared me and hurt a hell of a lot.

"Wow. This place is fucking huge." I took in his penthouse apartment and I knew my jaw was on the floor.

He smirked at me and slowly walked towards me. "Clothes can be nonexistent here as well baby. I have no objections." His eyes scanned me up and down with lust and love in them.

I slowly ran my finger up his abs and chest and pulled him closer to me. "I think. I would like to see just how controlling you say you can be. Something tells me you have been holding out on me." I nibble his earlobe and he groans so I decide to add the one word that would really get him turned on. "Sir."

He wasted no time in throwing me over his shoulder and carrying me up his stairs. This is what I was looking forward to. He was treating me like a fucking doll that would break, I wouldn't break.

"Ana. Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He hesitates but opens the door and leads me inside. It's a lot to take in at first. The bed is fucking huge with blood red sheets. There looks like there used to be a lot more in the room than what is in here now. I walk over to his chest and open each drawer, he has a lot of toys and I'd be lieing if I said I didn't want to try each one of them. I walked around the room and looked at everything. The very comfortable couch, the whipping bench, the floggers and whips, it scared me but it also turned me on in a way.

"Ana. We will start slow. If you want me to stop just say stop okay?" I nod. I then feel him spank me once. "Answer me, Ana." I noticed the change in his voice when he said those three words. Dominant Christian was here and wanted to play.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Undress yourself and go lay on the bed."

I kick off my shoes and then he turns to go to his chest of toys. I take off my shirt then my bra then my pants and finally my panties. I lay on the bed and my God it is comfortable. I watch him walk to the bed and he slowly climbs to straddle me.

"Close your eyes Ana." I obey him and close my eyes. He runs his hands up my left arm and I feel the cool metal and the clink of handcuffs. He repeats the action with my right arm. "Open your eyes Ana." I open them and stare at the gorgeous man in front of me.

His lips meet mine in a slow kiss and then he makes his way down my neck to my breasts. He nips and licks each one until they are hard then puts the nipple clamps on and easy as he can. He runs his tongue down my stomach and dips it into my navel while tugging gently on the clamps. I can't suppress the moan that comes out of my mouth. His kisses his way up my thighs and licks around where I want him most.

"Christian. Please..."

Finally his tongue enters me and he's relentless. He licks and sucks until I'm almost there and then he stops. I look at him and he smiles that devilishly wicked sexy smile. He climbs off me and I watch him strip his clothes off. So. Fucking. Slow. I groan and he laughs as he climbs on top of me again.

"Good things come to those who wait Ana. I hope you are ready for this."

Without warning he thrusts into me and I scream as I grab onto his back. He doesn't slow his thrusts. He's pounding into me and I love it. I can hear his balls slapping my ass and I'm meeting him thrust for thrust.

"Oh God...Christian...I'm...I love you." I barely get the words out in between thrusts and they come out more like a moan than actually words.

"Ana...my Ana...Oh baby...I love you." He whispers the words back as we both reach our climaxes and then collapses on top of me. He rolls off almost immediately and pulls me to his chest.

We're quiet for a couple of minutes and then I feel him start to move to get out of bed. I sit up and he looks nervous. "Christian? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. I just...I planned to do something and I want to do it but first we need to talk." I nod and we both get dressed and he leads me downstairs to his living room. Once we're seated on the couch he looks at me and takes a deep breath. "You're not leaving me are you Ana?"

I gasp at him in shock. "No. I would never leave you." Lie. That is a lie. I tell my subconscious to shut up and focus my attention back on Christian.

"Then what is wrong Ana? I'm not blind nor stupid. Something is going on and you and Aiden both know about it. Is it work? Is it Leila? Elena?"

I don't answer him. I have no clue what to say. I can't tell him anything, the last threat I got said id I told then Christian would get hurt. I wouldn't make another mistake. I had made one before and the back brakes were cut on my car and I almost crashed, after that I got a email saying next time I messed up there would be no survivors.

"Ana I can help you. I don't want to lose you baby."

"Work. It's just work babe."

Something in his eyes tells me he doesn't believe me. "Then why does it feel like sometimes when you and Aiden say hello or I'll be back or I love you in your case and it really feels like you are saying goodbye?"

I grab his face in my hands and kiss his lips fiercely. "It's not goodbye. I love you Christian. I won't leave you. It's just work it's crazy. I love you so much."

He is still cupping my face and he has his eyes closed. It looks like he's thinking very hard about something. After a few moments he gets up and walks to the mantel and grabs something. I watch as he walks back over to me and gets down on one knee. Oh my fucking God. "Marry me Ana. Please. Will you marry me?" He opens the box and I gasp as I see the beautiful ring.

I nod my head and notice the tears streaming down my face. "Yes." I barely get the word out before he puts the ring on my finger and picks up to spin me around. He carries me to his bedroom and we waste no time in showing each other exactly how much we mean to each other.

Now it's a week and a half later and I'm in the car with Aiden driving to Portland. We told Christian we had a business meeting, technically not a lie but technically not the truth either. I sit frozen staring out the window as he drives. Neither of us wants this to happen but after the visit he got today from none other than the bitch troll herself we know it will all happen sooner rather than later and we need to be prepared, which is why we also sent Grace to the penthouse to stay with Christian.

I couldn't stop the thoughts from coming into my head.

A month.

31 days.

That is how long we had together as a family. We had one month of pure happiness and love before it all started to crumble at our feet, the worst thing about it all was that there was not a damn thing we could do to stop it. Aiden and I had both tried and failed. We had to surrender.

I had found out Elena Lincoln's secret years ago. I knew why she needed Christian and GEH so bad. I knew why she hated me. I knew things that could ruin her and send her away for the rest of her pathetic existence. Yet out of all the things I knew...I had no proof. I had no papers or people willing to testify against her. I had no proof and that is why no matter what I knew it didn't make a damn bit of difference. I had told only one person, Aiden, the only person I trusted with this information. Knowing this information made us both number 1 on Elena's get rid of list. She had proved that numerous times over the past month. That is what brought us to her ex-husbands law firm in Portland. Our business trip. We get out of the car and walk in quietly.

He's the one who has been helping me over the years hide information about me and together the three of us now had a plan. Aiden came up with it, Linc would provide the papers, I would provide motive, and Grace would make the call. We need a doctor we could trust and we could trust her, we told her everything. We had the perfect set up to get all the proof we needed on Elena Lincoln but every plan has it's consequences. We didn't know our consequence when we thought it through. We didn't know that ours was that we had only had one damn month.

"Ana? ANA!" I turned to William Lincoln and met his eyes for the millionth time tonight. "We need to get this done tonight. Aiden has already finished his and I can have it filed and permanent within a week. I just need yours."

He pushes the papers towards me and Aiden grabs my hand in a show of strength, he was also letting me know he'd be there with me all the way. I nodded my head and grabbed the pen off of Linc's desk. I read and re-read the document over and over, correcting things where it needed to be corrected, and adding things that needed to be added, before singing it with Aiden as my witness. I also wrote Christian a note telling him that I love him and that I'll always be with him no matter what. Linc tries to object me on this but Aiden takes my side and that is that. I look once again at the diamond engagement ring on the third finger of my left hand as I pass the papers back to Linc. For one split second my ring that is still on my finger is right over the words that would soon be read to Christian. It killed me and it broke me down inside.

I get up silently and walk out of the office and get in Aiden's car. I hit the dash repeatedly with my hands while I kick the floor as hard as I can. "WHY! WHY, WHY, WHY!" I screamed the word over and over but I didn't expect an answer, I knew exactly why. I had to protect Christian. I had to find Leila who kept threatening him but with her pedophile money loving shank hoe bag bitch troll of a mother protecting her, I couldn't find her. I had to confront Elena eventually about the threats she had made to me and Aiden. Most of all I had to take Elena down before I could even get to Leila, which meant that Aiden and I had to do this. There was no backing down. I heard him get in the car and close the door behind him.

"Grace texted me." I look over at him and he is looking back at me like the world will come crashing down around us. "She's at the penthouse. Elena is. It happens tonight."

And sure enough the world starts to crash and we can't stop it.


	10. Chapter IX

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

I'm sorry if I caused any confusion. This chapter will pick up right where the other left off.

I've re-written it and it will have three different POV's.

First Aiden's POV, I felt that his part of the plan deserved to be told from his POV. Second will be Ana's and there will be a slight twist of the plan. Last will be Christian's and he will learn the biggest secret of all.

The next chapter will be all Christian's POV.

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter IX**

_**Aiden's POV**_

I know Ana doesn't want to do this. It will hurt all the people involved but it's not forever. It's just temporary. The whole way back to Seattle I could think of nothing but how much I wanted to save her and Christian from that hurt. I don't have a lot of real friends but they are more than that. They're my family. They mean more to me than anyone even Luke. She's asked me, no wait begged me, if there was any other way we could protect Christian. I thought about it. I thought through every little thing and nothing came to me. They all had the same ending someone would get hurt.

If I told anyone then Elena and/or Leila would hurt Ana.

If Ana told anyone then Elena and/or Leila would hurt Christian.

If both of us tried to mention anything to Christian then all three of us would be in danger.

It was all too risky. Wait, there was another way. I didn't see it before but I do now. Now that it's too late I see the other way she begged me for. I look over at her and I know she's trying to be strong but inside she's breaking apart. _I'm sorry Ana. _I mentally apologize because I know she won't want to hear anymore of my apologies. I hadn't forced her into this decision but I might as well have. We pull into the parking garage at Escala and I'm suddenly happy that Christian gave his security the weekend off. At least my brother won't have to see this. The elevator ride up was silent and neither of us made any move to break it. This is the first time that Ana and I have gone this long without breaking a silence. We both know that Elena is here and most likely secrets will be coming out tonight but nothing could have prepared us for what we just stepped into when we walked in the door.

"Mom she helped me!"

"SHE RAPED YOU CHRISTIAN!"

"We trusted you Elena and you took advantage of it!"

"He needed me! Look at what he's built because of me!"

Grace and Christian were wrapped in one screaming match while Carrick and Elena were in another one. I knew what secret had come out first and it was the worst one. The one that had caused Christian to lose his brother and sister. The one that had caused Ana to run from their relationship when she was 16. The one that turned Christian into a dominant when he knew, and I knew, and Ana knew, he didn't need it. He could have had a happy NORMAL teenage relationship life if it hadn't been for that fucking pedophile money wanting bitch! I can feel Ana standing behind me and when I turn to look at her she's so pale. She has no clue what to do. She looks like Luke did when I came out to our parents. I had fought with my parents, they never did accept me but Luke did. Luke still loved me just like Ana still loves Christian despite what this bitch did to him. My protective instincts kick in probably due to the memory playing in my mind.

"IT'S NOT CHRISTIAN'S FAULT!" I yell the words and everyone stops yelling. Everyone is looking at me.

"Aiden."

"Stop Christian. Don't stick up for her anymore!" I walk away from Ana and towards Elena. I point one finger at her and continue talking. "She used you! She ruined you! She told you that being YOU wasn't good enough! No one understands that more than ME Christian. I've been told that, by my own fucking PARENTS! She abused you for 6 years Christian, kept you from having friends...from having Ana. I won't let her do it anymore. I am your friend, hell I'm your BEST FRIEND. I owe you that!"

Christian never responded but his posture said it all. He was scared and he had a right to be. I had lost my parents and most of my friends and now he was in the same position. No it wasn't because he was attracted to males because he's not. "It's your fault." I say the words and turn to face the bitch herself.

"And what would be my fault Aiden Sawyer? I helped him. He'll tell you that. I never lied to him, I told him from the beginning what would happen with our relationship. He wanted it."

I shake my head and laugh. "You're delusional. He was 15 and probably would have fucked anyone with a pussy!" I turn to Christian and tilt my head to the side in an apology. "No offense dude."

"No he wouldn't. He needed discipline. He needed me. He wouldn't be who he is today if I hadn't have shown him how to take what you want."

I listen to her words and think about my next ones carefully. "You're right. He wouldn't be who he is today. He'd be better." I get right up in her face as I say the last three words. I brace myself for her reaction and I get it. She grabs my throat and throws me away from her but not before I grab her arm and bring her with me. "You wanna fight Elena. Fine we'll fight. Show me what you got bitch." I spit the last word at her and she straightens her posture.

"I told you what would happen. I warned you."

I nod. "I know you did. Which is why I have just one thing to say. I will always protect him. I will always protect Ana. And you will go down for everything and everyone you've done!"

I knew my words did it. I knew she had a gun and I knew what would happen. I saw everyone's eyes lock on me and I knew no one could have gotten there fast enough to stop her. I felt the two bullets enter my ribcage and I hit the ground. I heard the screams of my name and then nothing.

It all went black. Part one of the plan was complete.

_**Anastasia's POV**_

Shock.

Anger.

Confusion.

All those emotions were running through my body. She had actually done it. She had shot Aiden, that was the shock and anger. Aiden had changed the plan though. Yeah he was supposed to get her pissed enough to hurt him, provoke her, but he was not supposed to let on that she had been with more underage kids than Christian. He had tried to let Christian in on everything. I didn't know if the message was received because I couldn't focus on anything more than the gun that was now pointing at Carrick, Grace, Christian, and I. I looked around and saw them all frozen too.

"Elena. Let me at least examine him."

We all look at Grace as her doctor instincts kick in. I know she's in on the plan and I know what she's going to do next. She's going to stabilize him so that he will live and then once we're in the ambulance she will give him a shot of something that will slow his heart just long enough to be pronounced dead and then he goes into hiding. She's also doing the same thing with me. Elena nods but watches her and us very closely. She's scared, as she should be. It just sucks she has some kind of silencer on her gun so no one would hear the shots unless they're in the room.

I was still thinking about what I needed to do. I wasn't going to go through with Aiden's plan all the way. I wouldn't, couldn't, lose Christian. I would let him know what was going on in my own way. She turns to look at Aiden and Grace again and I make my first move. I take my phone out of my pocket and put it in Christian's. He gives me a questioning look but I shake my head and he got the message, thankfully. Once Grace is done with Aiden and comes to stand next to Carrick again Elena speaks.

"Sit down. I think it's time we all had a little chat." Elena guides us all towards the couch where we sit down. She seems to have forgotten all about Aiden. "How about we play a game. Truth or truth, we'll leave out the dare."

"Why don't you just leave Elena?" Christian's voice sounded tired and hurt. He looked back at Aiden and I saw the hurt in his eyes. He just saw his best friend get shot by a woman who said she never wanted him to hurt.

"Because I only want you to know the truth darling."

"Don't call my son that Elena." Carrick cuts her off but she ignores him.

"Someone here is keeping something from you Christian. Something important." I didn't miss how her eyes flickered to me as she said someone.

I shake my head. "I'm not keeping anything from him."

She looks at me and raises her eyebrows. "Really? So any mysterious emails or text messages you've shared with him?"

I don't move my eyes from hers. I know what she's doing but it won't work. She will never be able to get Christian to hate me because no matter what she says once he looks at my phone he will have all the answers he needs. I emailed him everything, every email, every text, it may have come late but I did tell him the truth. "I'll admit I may have omitted telling him some stuff but I haven't lied. I'm sure he omits telling me some stuff too. We do it because we care about each other and would do anything to protect each other."

"Omissions can count as lies too Anastasia."

I take deep breaths to try and calm myself. I know what she's doing. She wants me to snap like Aiden did. I don't hear the conversations around me, I'm too busy watching Elena. She keeps trying to convince Grace and Carrick that she's sorry. She keeps trying to convince Christian that he won't lose anything or anyone even though he keeps pointing out that the longer Aiden lays there he will end up losing him. That's when I see it. She looks at Aiden for a minute and I see the one emotion I never expected to see cross her face. Regret.

"You love him." I whisper the words and everyone stops talking.

"What are you talking about Ana?"

I don't answer Carrick. I stand up and cross the room to stand next to Aiden. I'm doing this to prove to my brain that I'm right. The moment Elena looks at me I see it again as she glances at Aiden, regret. She regrets hurting Aiden because it's hurting Christian. Why didn't I think of it before? She will do what she needs to do to send a message but then she'll feel guilt over it, who knew the bitch had feelings at all.

"You love Christian. In your own fucked up way you love him. I didn't know you had it in you to actually care, I mean you always spouted off this whole no feelings thing just fucking thing but you actually care. You regret shooting Aiden don't you? Because it's hurting Christian."

Everyone's jaws drop to the floor except Elena's. She gets up and starts walking towards me. "Love is for fools. I'm no fool Anastasia. I don't regret shooting your friend. It sent a message to Aiden that I will follow through on what I say. I told him in the emails that I would-"

"You sent emails to Aiden?" She turns to face Christian and looks like a deer in the headlights. She has more to regret now than just shooting Aiden. I know Christian and he's very protective and I can see it in his eyes he already wants to take her down just for threatening Aiden in an email or two.

"Don't lie Elena. You want him to know the truth right?"

She turns to face me and I see the anger on her face. "He needs to know the truth that's for damn sure. He needs to know that you cannot give him what he needs. You cannot possibly be enough for him. He can't possibly be in love with you because it's supposed to be ME!"

I see the shock on everyone's faces. She just admitted what she had denied just 15 seconds ago. I step closer to her and I know I'm preparing myself for what Aiden got. I know how she will react and I brace myself for it. Christian and I haven't told anyone but Aiden about our engagement, maybe it's time they find out.

"You're wrong. I am enough for him. I can definitely fulfill his needs better than you or anyone else. Want to know how I know this Elena?" When she doesn't answer I raise my hand. "He wants to marry me. As long as we both shall live or in other words-"

"Til death do you part."

At her last words I feel the gun press to my stomach and fire.

"ANA! NOO!"

I hear Christian's heartbreaking scream. I feel the impact but it's dulled.

"Okay Grey family. Now you know what I'm capable of. If any of you try to make a move against me for anything I will not hesitate to end any one of you. Consider this me delievering a message."

I hear Elena's voice but everything is starting to fade. I hear the door slam and then I hear different words from different people. I hear Carrick say something about ambulence. I hear Christian telling me hold on. Grace says something that actually scares me. I was shot close to my heart. I'm bleeding too much.

Shit.

I'm not literally supposed to die.

_**Christian's POV**_

Not Ana.

Not Aiden.

Those are the only thoughts running through my mind as I pace the hospital hallway. I knew something was going on but I didn't know what. If I would have found out sooner that Elena was sending Aiden threatening emails I could have done something. I could have protected him.

I'm still shocked that Elena admitted she loved me. Oh why had Ana pushed her. My baby knew Elena had a gun and yet she had pushed her with the lieing comment and then the whole he's marrying me thing. I can't say I blame her, hell I would have done the same thing but damn I can't lose her. I love her. I need her. I hate Elena. I know she threatened my family but I swear if either of them, Ana or Aiden, don't survive this I will find a way to put her behind bars for the rest of her pathetic existence.

I hear the doors to the OR open and my mom comes out. She doesn't look at me she just guides me to a small waiting room that's unoccupied. She stands in front of me silent for a few moments but I can't take it anymore.

"When can I see them?" No answer. "Mom. Mom please."

No no no. I can't think the worst. I have to have hope.

"Christian. I..." She looks like she's thinking very hard about how to word something she doesn't want to say. "Aiden was pronounced DOA, there was nothing I could do. Ana, she...she...I'm sorry baby boy."

No. Ana. Aiden. Dea..."NO!" I scream the word and feel the tile floor beneath my knees. I feel the sobs wrack through my body. My mom tries to hug me, comfort me, but I can't. "I can't. I..." I make my way to my feet and march out of the hospital right as Luke and Jason are walking in.

"Christian?" I don't stop when Jason calls after me. "CHRISTIAN!" He grabs my arm but I yank it away forcefully.

"LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE TAYLOR!"

I walk away leaving him standing outside the hospital. I never called him Taylor unless we were at Grey House and my employees were around. I walk and walk with no destination in mind. I can't take this. I lost not one of them, I lost both of them. My fiancee and my best friend. I stop walking when I'm standing in front of a building and it's only when I look up that I recognize it. Ever After Publishing, or formally known as Steele Publishing. I slide down against the door and put my head in my arms on my knees. I close my eyes but the images of tonight come back to me.

Ana and Aiden walking in the apartment seeing us all fighting.

Aiden arguing with Elena. Elena shooting Aiden.

Ana arguing with Elena. Elena shooting Ana.

Ana holding my hand.

Ana telling Elena and everyone else we're getting married.

Ana slipping her phone in my pocket with a look that said 'later'.

I bring my head away from my knees. She gave me her phone. I pull it out of my pocket and swipe the screen to unlock it. I've never looked at her phone before. She has a picture of us as her background and a bunch of music and book apps on her first screen. I swipe to the next one and find a document on there called 'click me'. I click on it and it opens her email or a folder with emails in it. I scroll through them and they're all from Elena and Leila. They threatened her too not just Aiden. I open one after the other and my jaw drops to the floor. Elena is Leila's fucking MOTHER! There's more that isn't being said in the emails but I can read between the lines to know enough. Ana knew things that could do what I wanted to do to Elena, put her in jail for life.

"That's why she wanted to hurt you baby."

I mumble the words as I continue to read everything. Hopefully there is something in here I can use against Elena. When I get to the last one it's different. It's an email Ana sent to herself with my name as the subject. I open it and read.

_To: Anastasia Steele  
From: Anastasia Steele  
Date: Friday June 14, 2013 8:25PM PDT  
Subject: Christian_

_You can take two people and throw a world of obstacles at them, DEFY ALL THE ODDS, and if their LOVE is strong enough they will still get their happy EVER AFTER._

_Anastasia Steele  
CEO Ever After Publishing_

I read and re-read her email to herself. Why would she email herself? I look at the date and realize it's today's date. Holy shit she sent this literally RIGHT BEFORE she walked in Escala. After reading it for probably the hundredth time.

"She's alive."

I whisper the words and a smile comes to my face. She loves me. She defied all the odds. Where is she? Ever after? I look at the building and shake my head. She couldn't be here. If she's here that means she would have never been at the hospital. How would she have pulled all this off? I shake it off and start to walk away from the building. I'll find her but she can't be here. She's probably at some house Ray or Aiden own or something. As I'm walking down the sidewalk my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and read the text message.

_**From: Unknown  
There's always something after happily EVER AFTER Christian.**_

I stop walking and turn back to the building. I look around me and smile when I see no one watching me. The door opens and I close and lock it behind me. I've only been to Ana's office a few times but I know the way well enough. I get to the third floor and walk towards her office door.

Once I'm inside I see how much it's changed. The couch that was against the wall is now a bed that can easily be folded back into a couch. The desk has been pushed aside and there is a door that I now see leads to an en suite bathroom. That's new because it wasn't there before. The lamp next to the couch turns on and I see her.

"I'm okay Christian. I had a vest on. Aiden didn't. Grace thought she might have shot too close to my heart but she didn't. I promise I'll explain everything. I just couldn't-"

"Ana."

I breathe out her name and she nods at me and smiles. I run to her and take her in my arms. I'll do whatever I have to do. I'll go along and make Elena think she's dead if that's what she wants as long as I have Ana.

I just didn't know how hard that would be to pull off.


	11. Chapter X

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

Elena will get what is coming to her.

This chapter will be Christian's POV.

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter X**

"_I'm okay Christian. I had a vest on. Aiden didn't. Grace thought she might have shot too close to my heart but she didn't. I promise I'll explain everything. I just couldn't-"_

"_Ana." _

_I breathe out her name and she nods at me and smiles. I run to her and take her in my arms. I'll do whatever I have to do. I'll go along and make Elena think she's dead if that's what she wants as long as I have Ana._

_I just didn't know how hard that would be to pull off._

I held her in my arms and all the world felt right. I had my Ana and she was safe. This wasn't going to be easy, it would be very very hard to pull off but I would do it for her. I would do anything for Ana even make a deal with the devil himself which I knew I'd probably have to do if the devil was a woman and her name was Elena Lincoln.

"Ana. What about Aiden?"

I had been so blissfully happy that Ana was alive that I pushed my thoughts of Aiden away. I saw the bandage on Ana's chest when she pulled back and I gently ran my fingertips over it. Ana got hurt. Elena hurt my Ana. She grabs my hand and I make myself look at her eyes and not her bandage.

"I'm okay babe. The second bullet grazed my skin which caused the blood but it didn't go in me. Grace thinks it's somewhere in Escala. I'll be okay Christian." I nod my head. "This wasn't what was supposed to happen though."

What? What did she mean this wasn't supposed to happen? I had thought maybe her and Aiden planned this, perhaps I was wrong. "What do you mean baby?"

She sits on the bed and I sit next to her. I see the tears run down her face and I gently wipe them away with the pad of my thumb. "Aiden wasn't supposed to...He was supposed to help me. I wasn't supposed to do this alone. He didn't have a vest because we both knew one of us needed to bleed to make Elena think she was in control, Aiden decided it would be him because that person according to Grace would have the most risks. He wasn't supposed to tell her to let him bleed out though."

I don't have time to respond because then Ana falls into my chest and her sobs take over. I put my arms around her and try my best to comfort her. Why did Aiden not go through with what he and Ana planned? There had to be a reason. I felt her hands rubbing my back soothingly and it wasn't until I heard the sound of my own sobs that I knew why. Ana and I were both broken over losing our best friend. Elena would pay for this, she would pay for all the hurt she caused me and Ana, she would pay for killing my best friend.

"You're not doing this alone baby. I'll help you. Let me help you Ana."

"It's too risky Christian. It may already be a bust."

She pulls away from me and crosses her legs under her on the bed. "What do you mean a bust?"

"I shouldn't have let you know I'm alive." Those words shock me. She didn't want to let me know. She wanted me to think she was dead. What the hell changed her mind?! "I couldn't do that though. I love you too much and I had to see you one last time."

One last time? No no no. I won't let her do that. I won't let her go.

"You have to Christian. I've always told you that your eyes give you away. If people don't see you as the man who lost his best friend AND his fiancee this will never work. We both need this to work."

Damn this woman can read me like a damn book. I just got her back and I'm losing her again. I feel my heart breaking all over again. The tightening of the chest. The shortening of breath.

"Christian. Baby breathe. Baby look at me."

I feel her put her hands on my cheeks and pull my face up to look into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that can see right through me. I can't live without her. I can't feel like this everyday. I'll go crazy. I'll feel incomplete. Yet just by looking in her eyes the tightening goes away and I can breathe again. My heart still hurts but it's manageable as long as she's here with me.

"Baby listen to me okay? Don't cry. I'll still see you when it's safe to and I'll keep in touch as often as I can. But I'll make it okay for you first. Elena made an enemy with me the day I found out what she did to you but Christian, you weren't the only one. I had proof of her other partners but she took it all back and left me with nothing. She used all those kids for different things and she's using you too Christian. She wants revenge I guess. I don't know."

"What do you mean?" I hear my voice but I hear the distance and coldness in it as well. Maybe if I go back to my old rule of no feelings then it won't hurt so much when she leaves. Oh hell who am I kidding, I can't not feel with Ana. I'm sure it all doesn't go unnoticed by Ana.

"She wants something from you Christian."

"What? I don't have anything she's even shown an interest in."

She sighs and takes her hands away from mine. "She wants GEH. She wants to see it fall to it's knees and go under."

I shake my head. That's not possible. Elena always helped me and encouraged me with GEH, why would she want to see it fall. "That can't be right baby."

"I have only half of the puzzle on that babe. I just don't know why she wants that or who she's working with at GEH."

I watch her get up and go to her desk. She gets something out and hands me the envelope. I open it and find financial records. Damn, this is a record of every company I've bought or sold. Everything is right here. I don't see anything off until I see a few companies that I've never heard of. The other papers are on those companies and they are all associated with...holy hell.

"Esclava. She's using her damn stupid fucking useless beauty salons to bring down my damn company! My empire! She has a fucking mole in MY OWN damn company!"

I'm seething in anger. How could she do this to me. Hell she just admitted that, and I use Ana's words here, in her own fucked up way she loves me. Why would she want to make my company fall?

Then it comes to me. I had a warning. I did this. I set all this in motion the moment I told her I no longer needed her help in starting GEH.

_I had been at Harvard for a year now and enough was enough. Elena always showed up unannounced and it was getting on my last damn nerve. I had to end it once and for all. It's been about three weeks since her last visit so she'll probably be waiting in my dorm room when I get there. I finally make my way there and dun dun dun dun she never fails. _

"_Elena." I greet her coldly as I step inside and shut the door firmly behind me._

"_Darling. I've missed you." She smiles at me and I can see what she wants. Too bad she won't be fucking me ever again._

"_We need to talk."_

"_What about dear?"_

_I cringe as she calls me dear. "I want out. I'm done. No more of this. You, me...we're through. I also won't need your help in starting up my business. I've found another investor."_

_Damn, her jaw actually drops to the floor. She doesn't speak for a while and it makes me a little nervous. I hate that I can't read the emotions that cross her face. She's like the stone cold ice sculpture that was at the last party my parents threw. Finally the ice queen speaks._

"_It's her. I know it is." She whispers the words so I can barely hear them but I think that's what she said. "Listen to me Christian you need me. I can help you excel in not only business but society."_

_I almost laugh in her face. "I think I'll do just fine in society. I am a Grey after all. Now I have work to do Elena. Goodbye."_

_I walk to the door and open for her to leave. She gathers up her things and finally walks to the door. She leans in and I can feel her breath on my cheek as she whispers the words in my ear._

"_You will regret this decision Christian."_

"It's my fault." I look down at Ana and I see what I need to do. I see what I can offer her to help her. "I can still help you though baby. I can get access to anything you need me to concerning GEH and Esclava. No questions asked. Please let me do that. Let me help you."

I watch as she seems to consider my offer. After minutes she nods her head. "Okay. I'll let you do that but I still have other things I need to do. I need to go to Vegas for a while and get something important from there. When I come back I'll text you from a disposable cell and we can meet again."

I kiss her forehead. "Okay. How long do we have tonight?" I haven't wanted to ask the question. I don't even want to know the answer because I know that I'll have to accept it and let her walk out that door not knowing when I'll see her again.

"It's already been 20 minutes and so far no ones called you or come here." She pats my pocket and pulls out both her phone and mine and turns them both off. "I know you don't turn it off but given the circumstances I figured it's okay. But now, we have tonight baby. We have the whole night."

I nod and then cradle her face in my hands. "Then I intend to show you how much I love you and memorize each detail of you Ana baby."

I bring her lips to mine in a slow, sweet, passionate kiss. Neither of us move to deepen it and that's fine. I need this slow. She needs this slow. I let my hands slide down her neck to her chest to her hips and then I pull her against me. She runs her hands to the back of my neck and into my hair. We both deepen the kiss at the same time and our tongues meet each other in a slow sensual dance. I rub gentle circles into her hips and she slowly moves her hands back down to my neck and over my chest. I move one hand to her hair and pull her hair out of her ponytail and it falls down her back. It's still not as long as it used to be but it's grown to where it now falls to the middle of her shoulder blades.

I pull back from her lips and lay her down on the bed. I grab one leg and lay it on my lap. I take off her shoes and socks one by one and throw them on the floor not caring where they land. I then move to her jeans and pull them off again not caring where they land. I repeat this over and over until she is naked and then she kneels on the bed and starts to unbutton my shirt. After she undoes each button she places a sweet kiss on my chest. I can't help the quiet moans that escape my mouth as she does this. It feels so damn good. She gently pushes me down on the bed and takes off each of my shoes and socks. She crawls over me and undoes my pants and pulls them and my boxers down and they join the growing pile of clothes on the floor.

Our lips meet again and our teeth clash together and we pick up where we left off. I'm aware that we are both doing the same thing. We are both letting all the love and passion and need into this one kiss. Our hands run over each other slowly. I memorize each curve of her body. I memorize the softness of her skin. The places that bring her the most pleasure and the places she loves for me to kiss and suck and nip and touch. I memorize her scent, oh she smells so damn good like jasmine and something that is just pure Ana. The feel of her body under mine and on top of mine.

"I love you Ana."

"I love you Christian."

We've rolled around so much that now I'm back on top of her. I take her hands in mine and bring them to rest next to her head as I intertwine our fingers. I can feel my head right at her hot wet folds and I gently push into her. We both groan as I push all the way into her and then I stop. I don't know how long I stay there just inside Ana. I swear I could stay there all day, this is my favorite place, inside my Ana. I love how she feels around my cock, so warm and always ready for me.

I slowly pull back and start to move inside her. We untangle our hands and she puts her arms around my shoulders and presses soft loving kisses to my chest. I groan and put my arms around her back. I kneel on the bed and pull her up with me as she wraps her legs around my waist. She keeps our slow pace as she starts to roll her hips and move. I lay down and she starts to ride me slowly. My fingers tangle in her hair and she presses kisses all over my face. Then my jaw, neck, chest, and stomach.

I can feel my release coming and I can sense hers too. She rolls us back over so she's on bottom again. I kiss her lips, eyes, cheeks, forehead, chin, jaw, neck, chest, each one of her perfectly plump breasts, her perfectly toned stomach and then back to her lips. I start to thrust just a little faster and she meets me in the middle at the same pace.

"I" Thrust. "Love" Thrust. "You" Thrust. "So" Thrust. "Much" Thrust. "I'll wait forever for you Ana." I whisper the last words in her ear as I thrust into her much faster now.

"I" Thrust. "Love" Thrust. "You" Thrust. "Too" Thrust. "It won't be forever Christian." She whispers the words back as I bring her closer and closer to her release.

"ANA!" I yell out when I feel myself let go inside her.

"CHRISTIAN!" She yells as her walls milk me dry and I fall onto her chest.

I roll off of her and pull the covers over us. She snuggles into my chest and I can feel her tears falling as she rubs circles on my chest. I stroke her hair and let my own tears fall. It hits me like a freight train that this will be the last time I hold Ana in my arms for God only knows how long. I start humming to her and she eventually falls asleep on my chest. I kiss her hair and whisper 'Good night baby.'

I don't want to go to sleep yet. I watch the beautiful goddess in my arms and feel the tightening in my chest return. I know I'm tired and my eyes are heavy but I'm fighting it. I don't want to go to sleep because I know when I wake up either A.) she'll be gone or B.) I'll have to watch her leave. I don't know which one would hurt worse but I know I don't want either of them to happen. I eventually let sleep take over and I pull her closer to me hoping that this is all just a bad dream.

_I'm in the meadow again. This time it's different. There's a canopy with chairs and tables set up underneath it. About 20 feet away there's more chairs set up in rows and an arch made of red and white roses as the end of an isle. I look down at what I'm wearing and see the black tux. Why am I in a tux? Where am I?_

_I walk to the arch and stand under it. There are other people around that I recognize, my parents, Elliot and Kate, Mia, Ethan and Tabitha, Jason and Gail, Luke, Ray, Chris, they aren't sitting but they're here and they're all dressed up. I walk to one of the chairs on the first row and sit down. I run my hands through my hair and then I snap my head up when I hear a voice._

"_Daddy. You ok?"_

_I look up and see a little three year old boy walking towards me. I look around and no one else is here, is he calling ME daddy? I open my mouth to talk but nothing comes out. I decide just to nod._

_He smiles at me and crawls into my lap. "I wuv you. Mommy wuvs you."_

"_I..."_

_I look at his eyes and they look just like Ana's, just as blue and just as beautiful. His hair is just like mine and he looks so innocent and perfect. He picks up my left hand and starts playing with the ring on my ring finger._

"_You wuv us too. It time daddy. Time to be gether forever!"_

_He kisses my cheek and jumps off my lap. I see everyone take their seats and Elliot stands next to me but leaves a space between us. Aiden. Something tells me he's leaving a spot for Aiden. I see the little boy at the end of the isle and he has a little girl on his arm that looks just like Kate and as she throws the flowers he's carrying a different set of rings on a small pillow. Kate and a girl with red hair come down the isle next and take their spots across from Elliot and I. I see Ray take his spot at the end of the isle and then the picture stops. It's like time froze. _

I open my eyes as I feel the sunlight coming in through the blinds. Ana. The dream had stopped before I saw Ana. I knew it had to be Ana that would walk down that isle because the boy, my son, our son, had looked just like her. I can't feel her on my chest anymore and the panic starts to set in. I slowly sit up and look around. She's not on the bed and her clothes are gone. She folded mine and left them in a neat pile at the end of the bed. I look over to the lamp and see my phone sitting on the table with a note underneath it. I pick it up and read it with tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.

_Christian.  
You looked so peaceful I couldn't wake you. I know this won't be easy on either of us but remember what I said last night. It's not forever. I'll miss you so much. I'll text and call when I can.  
Stay safe.  
Be careful who you trust.  
I love you.  
X_

She doesn't sign the letter but she doesn't need to. There will only be one woman to love me and one woman I love. I get up and get dressed. I know I have to make it look like no one was here so I make the bed and fold the bed back up. Lucky for me the sheets don't keep it from folding up. I tear up the note into little pieces knowing I can't keep it and flush it down the toilet. I leave her office and slowly walk downstairs. I open the door and lock it with the spare key I know she hides outside in a small crack in the sidewalk by the door.

I walk a good distance from the building before I turn on my phone. I check the missed calls and I'm surprised when I see a bunch from Elliot and Mia. I hail a cab that takes me back to Escala. I walk in the front and straight through the lobby. I can feel everyone staring at me but I couldn't give a fuck if the building was in flames.

I lost Ana. She may be alive but she can't be with me. It hurts just the same.

I lost Aiden. I'll never be able to laugh with him again. Never be able to beat his ass at those racing games again.

I push the button for the penthouse and punch in the number. Once the doors open I walk right into the room and stop as I see the living room full. Mom, dad, Elliot, Kate, Mia, Jason, Gail, Luke, Chris...they're all here. None of them move towards me but they all stand when I close the door behind me.

"She's gone. Aiden's gone. Ana..."

I stop talking as I place my hand on the table next to the door and try to keep myself standing. I take a deep breath.

"It's not fair!"

I grasp the table and throw it into the wall. I pick up small various items and throw them at the same wall. After throwing the last thing in my reach I notice why I picked that wall. It's the same one that Ana was shot in front of. I walk over to it and punch it over and over screaming 'no'. I finally collapse against it and feel arms wrap around my shoulders. I lean into Mia as she rocks me back and forth crying with me.

"I need her Mia."

I knew I needed to keep Ana's secret but it would be hard. There would be no need for acting though. I was heartbroken and I'm sure everyone could see it. Only Ana could fix me, just like she did before.


	12. Chapter XI

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

From now on the POV's will be from both Christian and Ana. The chapters might be a little longer but now the plot thickens. I had this chapter written but then I had a whole new idea come to mind that I liked better and I hope you guys like it too!

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter XI**

_**Christian's POV**_

It had been one week.

7 days.

168 hours.

1,440 minutes.

Work. Home. Work. Home. That had been my new routine. I barely ate which was highly out of character for me and I barely slept at night. Work now consisted of digging and digging for any and all information that could bring Ana back to me faster. Most would think it'd be easy finding shit out about MY OWN company but every time I got even remotely close I either hit a dead end or the information was gone. It is infuriating. The only good news was that Leila turned herself in for attempting to kill me.

Today is different though. This Friday I won't go to work, instead I'll go to the church and watch my best friends memorial service. I sat on the bed staring at the suit that I was supposed to be putting on. I didn't want to go. I didn't want to face the truth that he wasn't coming back. I finally get up and make myself put the suit on. I don't do it for me, I do it for Ana and for Aiden. I know they would want me to go, they would want me to say goodbye so I will.

KNOCK KNOCK.

I hear the soft knocking on my door and I open it before walking away. I know it's Mia, she hasn't left Escala since my breakdown. She and Elliot have both been here for me all week. I don't need or want them here. I've done fine without them for 10 years but yet every time I look at them and see the regret and love and sadness in their eyes I can't do anything but accept their help. Mia sat down the breakfast tray and comes to help me with my tie.

"Let me help you Christian." I turn away from her and shake my head. I can tie a damn tie without her help. "Okay. I brought you breakfast, eggs and bacon with orange juice. I even put a chocolate chip cookie on there, I know you love them."

I get the tie done and look at the tray. Sure enough there is a damn cookie on it. I pick it up and look at it, yes I probably look weird just staring at a cookie but I don't give a fuck. I turn on my heel and walk to the kitchen. I grab the whole box of cookies along with the one Elliot is about to take a bite of and throw them over the balcony. I throw the now empty box on the floor walk right past a stunned Kate and Mia and go back to my bedroom.

"Bro? You want to tell me why you just dumped all the cookies? Did they do something to you?"

I don't answer. I can't. I haven't talked to anyone since I came home and I don't really want to. I have nothing to say really. I just shrug my shoulders in answer to his question and keep putting my shoes on. I grab the phone off the bedside table and check it again. No calls, no emails, no texts. No Ana. I sigh and set it on the bed next to me. I've been checking it once an hour everyday.

"I know I haven't been the best brother, hell I've been a horrible brother but I hate to see you like this. I've seen you hurt before but this is different. It's like your here but your not really here, like your a puppy waiting for your master to come home. Christian...I've heard you at night, screaming for Ana. You do know she isn't coming back right? Neither of them can come back you know that don't you?"

I don't look at him. I know he's sitting next to me on the bed but I don't acknowledge him. I want to tell him that I know he's sorry for not being there for me. I want to tell him that he doesn't need to stay here with me because I'm 26 fucking years old and can take care of myself. I want to tell him that I know Aiden can't come back. I want to tell him that one day Ana will come back to me because she fucking promised me she would. I want so many damn things but most of all I want Ana here with me, to be able to hold her and kiss her and know that she's safe. I can't tell him any of this so I just stand up, nod my head, grab my phone and jacket and go into the living room. Jason and Gail have joined Mia and Kate in the living room now. I hate the fact that they all stopped talking when I walked in.

"How are you doing little bro?" Jason comes up and puts his hand on my shoulder.

Seriously? He asks me how the fuck I'm doing. How the fuck does he think I'm doing? I'm going from depressed to mad in 0.5 seconds. I'm up and then I'm down. Hot then cold. I miss my Ana. I can't talk to him either though so I just shrug my shoulders. I grab my sunglasses from the bar and put them on. Now I can let my eyes show the truth of how I'm feeling because I know no one can see now. I take a deep breath to keep the traitor tears from falling at least until I'm in my car alone, and grab my car keys.

"Christian. I could drive you. I don't think-"

"I can fucking drive Mia! I'm not a damn child so stop treating me like one!"

I turn and yank the door open as everyone stares at my back. The first time I talk in a week and I yell at my sister, not a way to show them that I'm getting any better. The drive to the church is a quiet one and I'm fine with that. I park my car but make no move to get out. I don't know how long I sit there staring at the church. I'm only brought back to the here and now when I hear a tapping on my window. I see the older gentleman and he motions for me to come out, something about his looks seems familiar. I open the door and the mystery is revealed.

"You're Christian correct?" I nod. "I'm Charles Sawyer. Aiden's father." He holds his hand out to me and I shake it. I knew from what Aiden had told me that growing up he hadn't had a real relationship with his parents but he kept in contact enough to know they moved to Seattle to be closer to Luke after he started college.

"Nice to meet you." My voice cracks and he looks at me sympathetically. I lift my sunglasses and wipe away the tears I didn't know had fallen. I look back at him and he's giving me this 'I won't mention this' look.\

"I know I didn't have the best relationship with my son when he needed me the most but the last month or so has been different. We were talking more and I think it had a lot to do with you. My son never had friends, never had people who accepted him...unfortunately his mother and I were in the same category of people who didn't accept him. I just wanted to thank you, for being Aiden's friend."

I nod my head and place a hand on the mans shoulder. I could see the regret in his eyes and I knew he felt bad about the choices he made. "We were kind of the same. I never had friends nor was I accepted except when it came to Aiden and Ana. He was my best friend and she was my fiancee. I love them both."

He smiles a friendly smile at me. "I know." He clears his throat. "I actually have something to give you. Aiden's lawyer met with us yesterday evening. My son didn't have a lot and most of what he had he left to Luke but he wrote a letter for his mother and myself. He told me in the letter to find you, introduce myself, and give you something."

If I didn't have my sunglasses back on he'd see me looking confused. What the hell could Aiden have possibly left me? He motions for me to follow him to his car so I walk silently behind him. He reaches into the glove box and pulls out a book. He hands it to me and I read the title.

"The Lorax? He wanted you to give me a Dr. Suess book?"

He nods once. "Yes. He wanted me to tell you to read the quote that is highlighted on the bookmarked page. I have to go inside now. I'll see you there Christian."

I watch as he leaves and then look back at the book. I open it to the page Aiden had folded down and read the highlighted quote.

"_Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not."_

Under that quote he hand wrote me a note.

_I care Christian, about you..about Ana. A whole awful lot. -Aiden_

I close the book and walk inside the church. I see the urn at the front with his picture beside it since he was cremated. I take off my sunglasses and allow myself to feel it all. The pain. The loss. I find an empty seat in the back of the church and sit down. The preacher starts talking about Aiden and then his mother, father, and even Luke all say something. After Luke is finished they ask if anyone else would like to say something and I stand up. I walk up the isle and stand behind the podium, Luke gives me a brotherly hug as we pass and we both nod at each other. I clear my throat and then start talking.

"I never let anyone in. I never let anyone get to know me. I let Aiden do both of those things. He knew the Christian that no one else except my family and Ana knew. I was always afraid to let people in because I knew one day you'd lose them and that was the worst part of everything...the day you lost that person. When you lose someone you love and care about I don't think you ever really move forward because there is always going to be a hole in your life where that person used to be. No amount of flowers or candles or I'm sorry for your loss or Remember the good times you had will ever change that fact. It won't bring them back. I'll always miss Aiden but I'll always remember that he cared not only about me or Ana or Luke but about everyone because of a book he left me with a quote inside that I'd like to read now. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not. Aid, I care too buddy. See you around later...dude."

I make my way down the isle and out the doors of the church. I said what I had to say and I made my peace. I hadn't noticed the figure leaning on my car until I went to open the door and I couldn't. I look up and see the last person I ever wanted to see in my line of sight again.

"Move. Now."

"Christian darling don't be like that." She reaches her filthy murdering hand out to me.

I don't hesitate to grab her wrist and pull her arm behind her and pin her to my car. "Elena. I may have agreed to be your sub when I was fifteen and hell I may have been out of it for a week but NO MORE. I swear to you that you WILL go down for what you did. I WILL find whatever Ana and Aiden had on you and I WILL take it to the police. You do not want to fuck with me. I am no longer a friend of yours. I'm not even an acquaintance to you anymore. Do you understand me?"

I get no answer from her. I know she's scared. I can feel the fear in her bones granted I hadn't threatened someone physically since high school and I've never threatened a woman but I guess everyone has their days. I chuckle lightly when I realize that actually Elena is not a woman because a woman wouldn't act like she does. In fact I think she might actually be the exact definition of a bitch, a female dog but one who only gets fucked when she rapes little boys. I pull her arm tighter and hear her wince in pain.

"Do you understand me Elena?"

"Yes."

I finally let her go when she whispers the word. She looks back at me and I know she's seeing a person that not even she recognizes. She walks away silently and only when she reaches her car do I get in mine. I pull out my phone before I start driving to put the ringer back on and my heart starts beating rapidly in my chest.

_**From: Unkown  
New idea. You'll like it, I hope. I need to see you. 1234 Maple St. Apt. B. ILY. X**_

Ana. I smile at the text and then delete it after memorizing the address. I look around and start to drive once no one is following me. It's not a long drive but just in case I decide to take the long way there. After parking the car I walk until I find her condo. It's not fancy, in fact it's small but it's a place where I can see Ana staying. I knock on the door and hold my breath.

This is it.

_**Anastasia's POV**_

It had been one week.

7 days.

168 hours.

1,440 minutes.

The first day away from Christian was the worst. I used my fake identity as Hayley Reynolds to buy a plane ticket to Vegas. I hadn't been back there since I left when I was 16. I forced myself to walk through the airport and get on the plane. I forced myself to get in a cab and I forced myself to return to the house I once left. I knew my suspicions were correct once the door opened. Steven Morton never went to jail, his twin brother David took his place.

"If it isn't little Anastasia. Tell me how is life with your new beau?"

"Cut the shit Steve." I growl out the words and snap my teeth together. "I am not the same little girl you thought you could push around. In fact you have something I need."

He smirks. "Why would I help you?"

I look around and then nod my head for him to look behind him. "Because if you don't she will pull that trigger. Consider this a way to make sure you still get to see tomorrow after what you did to me and to her."

I watched him turn around and look at Sam and then back at me. He let me in and Sam lowered the gun. He wasn't happy to give us what we wanted but he did it to save his own skin, just like he let his brother take the fall for him...nothing mattered to him except looking out for himself. We left just as fast as we came but not without a threat to leave us alone or he'd get what was long overdue for a pathetic scum bag like him. Once we got in the rental car I had rented we both burst out laughing.

"You would think since he calls himself so smart he'd be able to tell the difference in a water gun and real one. I mean seriously the worst I could have done would be to squirt him to death." I laugh as she squirts me with the gun and then throws it in her bag.

"I guess he's not smart then. Now that we have the address for where Leila is we need to go get the bitch that shot my fiancee."

She nods as she thumbs through all the paperwork. "Who knew that eavesdropping on his damn phone calls could be so insightful. To think I learned he had another daughter who tried to kill my big sisters epic love and he was stupid enough to think I wouldn't find a way to tell you. Dumb ass."

We made our way back to Seattle and on day number 2 Leila was found. She was very surprised to see me and didn't say much to me actually other than the phrase 'what do you have that I don't?' She had apparently known who I was. As much as I wanted to be pissed at her I couldn't be. Compassion, damn it to hell but it is one of the things Christian says he loves about me. After a few failed attempts of trying to talk to her I finally found a way to get her to open up to me. Christian. He hadn't told her about me but she had found out he was in love with me. She told me that Elena had set them up by telling her that she'd only have to sub for him for a little while before he realized he was ready to have more with her. She fell in love with him but realized that he was in love with someone named Ana. I asked her why she shot him and she said she didn't want to but that she was upset when she saw him leave that club with me and she didn't actually think she would be able to hit him because she'd never fired a gun before. Leila is actually a nice girl, a little messed up in the head a little bit but nice none the less. I know Christian and I know he'd want to help her out so I call Flynn and he comes to talk to her. She agrees to turn herself in and both John and I promise to take care of her.

The rest of the week consisted of dead ends. Sam was a computer whiz and she had graduated early and was studying computers at the community college in Vegas. I had found her with Aiden's help and she explained to me through many phone calls that she had been sent to Steve's brother which really turned out to be Steve. I was relieved to find out he never was able to lay a hand on her because she always fought back. She learned to hack into computers and had been trying for days to get into the GEH servers. Every time she got close she either hit a wall or the information we were looking for had been taken and then deleted. I watched her not really understanding anything on the screen but I knew that most hackers left something behind like a mark or something, what I saw though was impossible...it was almost like Aiden hacked into the servers before we could. Now on day 7 Sam was frustrated beyond belief.

"Okay this is getting us no where. I can't find anything. There has to be something though. Maybe we need to go to extremes and break in to try to find a paper trail."

I gape at her. "NO! We can't break into Grey House! That's CHRISTIAN'S company!"

She then turns to look at me and smiles that 'I have a whole new idea smile.' "You're right. It is. I have to run an errand. I'll be back. Don't do anything!"

I watch the TV. This was the condo I was supposed to share with Sam and Aiden but now it was just me and Sam. After 5 episodes of The big bang theory she comes in and puts the bags down. Sally's beauty supply store and a bag from eye masters. What the hell is she thinking? I pull the stuff out of the bags and I am quite surprised at what I find. 3 boxes of a light blonde color hair dye. A manicure and pedicure set up. Green colored contacts and a pair of fake glasses. Before I can ask what it's for she basically screams it at me.

"You're going to work for Christian!"

I look at her and she's literally jumping up and down. She's insane. "Have you gone crazy? I'm supposed to be DEAD Sam!"

She nods. "Yes but Hayley Reynolds isn't. She has green eyes and light blonde hair. She loves mani/pedi's and she wears glasses. No one will notice you."

"I'm not even qualified to work as anything at Grey House."

She laughs so hard she has to struggle to catch her breath. "That won't matter. You know the boss and hell if he knows this new plan I'm sure he'll think of some new position only you could fill. Hell he'll probably hire you as a fucking statue to just stand in his office all day. Or you could be his personal personal assistant if you know what I mean." She winks at me and I laugh at her.

"I don't know. It's risky."

"You'd get to see Christian. Every day."

"I could get caught."

"You could find the information we need to end all of this and get your happy ever after."

I pick up the glasses and think about it. Maybe it'll work. I find myself nodding my head and then being thrown into the bathroom. Sam dyes my hair and then she gives me the mani/pedi. I put the contacts in and put on the glasses. Damn, I do look different. I look in the mirror and I have to search for a while to find Ana in all this. No blue eyes, no brown hair, and Ana definitely didn't get her nails done.

"Now we put it to the test. Text Christian and tell him to come over. If he agrees to this then it's all systems are go."

I pull out my phone and send him the text message. I miss him a lot. A lot more than I ever thought possible. I wanted to contact him so many times this week but I was always afraid it wouldn't be safe for him. I know people follow him around like there's no tomorrow. Sam and I sit in the living room waiting for him watching Sheldon say bazinga way too many times but it's still hilarious. Finally we hear the knocking on the door and Sam skips to open it. I try not to eavesdrop but I can't help it.

"I'm sorry I must have the wrong-"

"Christian Grey. It's so great to meet you! I've heard about you non-stop now get your megalomaniac CEO butt in here." I hear feet shuffle and the door close. "OH! I'm Sam by the way. I'm sure you've heard about me. Ana's in the living room with a big surprise."

I stand up as they come around the corner and his jaw drops. For a minute I'm scared that he will hate this idea. Everyone will recognize me and this will all be for nothing. He crosses the room and grabs my face in his hands and kisses me like he's never kissed me before. He pulls back and then looks me up and down while spinning me around.

"You know, add a skirt...some heels...and you'd make the sexy office assistant fantasy to shame baby." I look at him and he smirks at me.

"Do you think anyone would recognize me?"

He shakes his head. "I don't think so. Why?"

I place one hand on his chest and the other on the back of his neck and lean in to whisper in his ear. "Because I need to get a job as that sexy office assistant at GEH."

He groans and turns his head to start to kiss my neck.

"OKAY! I'm still here and as much as I want for you two to populate the earth I don't want to see it."

I pull back and laugh at Sam. Christian looks pissed and I could have sworn I heard him mumble cock blocker under his breath. She motions for him to sit down and before I can move he pulls me to sit on top of him and I immediately know why. The general is up and ready for play and he doesn't want same to see him pitching his tent.

"No funny business on the couch. I like to sit there and watch my how I met your mother and I'd prefer it if you kept your bodily fluids to yourself."

Christian gives out a half laugh. "This is your little sister?"

I shrug. "She's grown up. I missed you."

He kisses my cheek. "I missed you way more baby."

"So just to make this quicker and you two can go upstairs faster. Christian do you think it's possible for Ana to work at GEH so she can try to find the information we need?"

"You are always going to interrupt us aren't you?" She shrugs her shoulders but smiles at him like a sister would a brother. "Yeah it's possible. Olivia quit a couple of days ago actually so I need a new personal assistant to help Andrea out."

"Perfect! She'll come on Monday for the paperwork and such. Now since your both incredibly pissed at me and really need to be together I'm going to go out. I have an appointment anyway."

I look at her and raise an eyebrow. "An appointment? You never said anything."

"It just came up Ana. Look have fun with Christian and I'll be back later."

She runs out the door and I turn to find Christian smiling at me. I know that smile way too well. I kiss his lips sweetly and then deepen it just a little bit. He tastes so good. I know it's only been a week but it feels like it's been forever. I straddle him on the couch and my hands make there way over his chest, stomach, arms, neck and into his hair that I give a gentle tug. He groans and pulls me closer to him. I pull back from him and he groans again this time in frustration.

"One week Ana. One damn week. I need you baby."

"And you think I'm just going to let you fuck me senseless?"

"Mhmm. And you'll love it. You always beg for more. It's so damn sexy."

I kiss his jaw, damn his stubble is sexy. I bet it'll feel so good when he devours me down there. I grab his hand and make him stand up. "I think we need a bed."

I lead him up the stairs and into the bedroom that I sleep in. There's not much in here just a bed and a picture of Christian and I that was taken a few days after he moved in with Aiden and I. Once I close the door I waste no time in continuing what we started downstairs. I don't intend to beg tonight, he will be the one begging.

I rip off his shirt and throw it on the floor. His jeans are the next to go and then I push him down onto the bed. I mount him quickly and make my way down his perfectly sculpted chest. I lick and suck my way down nipping at his nipples and earning a groan in response. He is clutching at the sheets and it's fucking hot to see. I kiss his tip and he gasps, "Ana."

I smile. "Enjoy it baby."

I lick him up and down like he's a Popsicle. He tastes so good. I take him in my mouth slowly and his hands tighten on the sheets. I humm around his length and start to move faster.

"Fuck! Ana...please...don't...stop...ever..."

He moans the words and it makes me move faster. I take him in all the way and he reaches the back of my throat. His hands are in my hair now moving me to a slightly quicker pace. My name is the only word to leave his lips and then he comes gloriously in my mouth. I swallow all of him and then lick my lips as I sit up.

"Delicious Christian. Absolutely delicious."

He smirks that devilish smirk at me and I giggle in response. "You little minx. My turn now."

He tosses me on the bed and quickly takes his spot on top of me. He goes straight for my pussy and is relentless. His fingers stroke in and out faster than ever and his tongue is working me to new heights. He nips and sucks at my clit and I see stars in front of me.

"FUCK! CHRISTIAN!"

I reach my climax within a minute maybe and he pulls away chuckling darkly. "That was the quickest yet baby. But...I'm not done yet. Get on all fours now."

He says the last 5 words in his dominant voice and I find myself getting wet all over again. I'm positive I'm going to like this. He grabs my waist and pushes himself into me with no warning at all. We both groan as we feel each other again and he starts to pound into me like there won't be a tomorrow. Right before we both reach completion he turns me over so I'm on my back and starts to go slower.

"I love you Ana. I'll make this new plan work. I will."

"I love you too Christian. I'll make it work too."

We don't say anything more. We move to our own pace and make love to each other. We climax moaning each others names and then fall into each others arms. I can't help the smile that crosses my face. Christian pulls out of me and rolls to the other side of me and pulls me into his arms. He falls asleep quickly and whispers my name before he does. I kiss his chest and gently untangle myself to go to the rest room. Once I'm done I come back to the room and hear my phone vibrating. I pull it out and my heart stops. I have two different text messages from Sam.

_**From: Sam  
Keep up with the plan. I can't come back right now. I love you sis.**_

_**From: Sam  
I found the person who was beating us to the files. I'll explain it all later. I'm fine. Stay with Christian, he needs you.**_

My thoughts are going around in my head too fast. Sam wouldn't just leave. She wouldn't have left with the person unless she trusted them and she didn't trust easily. She only knew and trusted one other person in Seattle and that was Aiden. He couldn't be that person. Could he?

I decided to put that out of my mind. If Aiden was alive he'd tell me. I wouldn't get my hopes up for nothing. I crawl back into bed and into Christian's arms. Home. Safety. He is all I need and I will keep my promise to him. I will make our plan of me working for him at Grey House work. I will take Elena down and we will be together again.

If I hadn't fallen asleep at that moment I would have seen the man in sunglasses and a black hoodie standing with Sam at the door. I would have heard them exit the house. I would have known the truth.


	13. Chapter XII

All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

This chapter will have the answer to the question you've all been wondering, who is the guy working with Sam?

First it will be Christian's POV, then Ana's POV, then the other person's POV.

Read and Review, please!

* * *

**Chapter XII**

_**Christian's POV**_

I wake up when I hear the ringing from my cell phone. I grab it and switch it off before tossing it to the ground again. I roll back over and brush tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Beautiful. My Ana, Hayley, hell she could be a three headed monster and I'd still love her and think she was the most beautiful creature to ever walk this planet. I meant what I said last night that I'd make this work for us. For the first time in a week I was actually looking forward to Monday coming even though it seemed like it was a lifetime away. I kissed her forehead and gently got out the bed and pulled on my boxers and walked downstairs.

I found the kitchen easily and tried to make breakfast. I was not a good cook, that is why I had Gail, but I could put together something. I found some grapes and yogurt in the fridge along with a pitcher of iced tea. I got all three things out and went about placing the fruit on a plate for Ana and I. I poured us both a glass of the tea and couldn't help but smile and laugh at the memory that flashed through my mind. Stupid fucking iced tea.

_It was Wednesday morning and I woke up and went to see what Gail made for breakfast. I saw the scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes set on three different plates with empty glasses next to each one so we could get our own drinks. I poured orange juice for Ana and I and left Aiden's empty since I didn't know what he'd want. Ana had moved in with me officially when Aiden came by Monday and said the lease on their apartment was up. Instead of him paying for a place I invited him to live here with us and he practically jumped up and down like a little kid when he saw that his room was almost as big as their old apartment. I heard the front door close and looked up to see him setting his basketball on the ground by the door._

"_Morning dude. Just went to shoot some hoops."_

_I nod. "Gotta keep in shape."_

_He laughed as he walked toward the fridge to get his drink. He played basketball every morning and he also informed me he played while him and Ana were at NYU as well. "I play for fun. The only exercise I get is my one sit up a day. I get up in the morning, that's half of my sit up, and I lay down at night, the other half obviously."_

_I laugh at his logic and hear Ana laugh behind me. She kisses me on the cheek and sits next to me at the breakfast bar. _

"_Of course running and jumping to Aiden is just normal everyday activity that cannot possibly be exercising." She joins the conversation while biting her bacon and holding my hand firmly in hers._

"_Of course baby. What was I thinking." I roll my eyes, the bad habit I picked up from her no doubt, and went to eat my breakfast._

_The kitchen was silent for a few seconds as we listened to Aiden move things around the fridge looking for something to drink. I didn't understand why he did that, we had it all right there. Orange juice, milk, kool aid, apple juice, hell we even had coffee in the coffee pot. Finally he shut the fridge and turned around with a triumphant smile on his face._

"_Aha! I knew you'd have it somewhere!" He fills his glass with iced tea from the glass pitcher and puts it back in the fridge._

"_Iced tea? With breakfast?"_

_He nods like a little kid who found chocolate candy in their stocking on Christmas morning. "Duh. Now where's your sugar?"_

_I point next to the coffee pot. "There's the sweet n low."_

_He turns around and looks at me like I committed a felony. "The shit in the pink packets? Are you nuts! That shit can cause cancer. Where's the REAL sugar dude?"_

_Ana laughs and gets off her stool. Well I learned something new then, don't buy sweet n low because I don't want cancer, though part of me could have sworn he was joking. I was not one to take risks though so I'd refrain from Gail buying it again. I watch her hand him the jar of sugar and then sit back down next to me. We continue to eat while he adds his sugar. I watch him put in spoon after spoon. One, two, three, four, once I get to seven I speak to him._

"_Damn Aid. How much sugar do you need?"_

_He looks at me and smiles. "Enough that if you run out of syrup you could pour my sweet tea over your pancakes."_

I'm snapped out of the memory when I hear Ana come into the kitchen. I look up at her and meet her green eyes. Damn, she put in her contacts already but she's beautiful either way. I'm already adjusted to the hair, normally I don't go for blondes but the color actually looks good on her but I like her brown hair a lot more. I look her body up and down as she stands there sexily wearing only my shirt and has her hair brushed back behind her ears. I walk over to her and wrap my arms around her waist and kiss her good morning.

"Mmmm I've missed that baby." I tell her the words after I pull back and we're standing there with our arms around each other swaying slowly from side to side.

"I have too babe. I love that you made me breakfast-"

I put a finger on her lips. "No buts. Please don't pop our bubble yet." I knew I'd have to leave eventually, it's Saturday. I would need to go home and get showered so I don't smell like sex and Ana, then I'd have to go back to the church for her 'memorial service'. This would be the hardest to get through.

"I don't want to Christian. But considering I woke up, looked out my window, and saw Jason driving around the apartments in a circle presumably looking for you...I think we have to."

Damn it. I curse under my breath and put my forehead against hers. Part of me wants to say fuck it and take her up stairs and make love to her until neither of us are coherent enough for anything. Part of me knows I can't do that and I have to put on the show of my life that I should probably win an oscar for once I'm done. "I can't do it."

I feel her run her hands through my hair and down my back. "I know you can."

I shake my head and pull back to look at her. "I don't know if I can wait until Monday to see you again. It's hard to be away from you. I just wish this could all be-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

We both freeze as we hear the knocking on her door. One look into her eyes and I know she isn't expecting company, I'm regretting that I was about to tell her I wish this could all be over. Karma sure is a fucking bitch.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

'Stay here' I mouth the words at her and walk to the door. I open it before I realize I'm still in just my boxers and instantly regret it. I'm staring at none other than Jason Taylor who looks quite pissed off seeing my state of undress. It's quickly clear that neither of us know what to say as we both stay silent. I close my eyes and look at the floor hoping that something, anything, will come to my mind that I could say to keep Ana safely hidden.

"Who is Hayley?"

I open my eyes and beg the floor to open up with a hole that I can jump in and disappear. How was I supposed to explain this without it sounding like I was cheating on Ana with Hayley who once this was all over would come out to be Ana, God this was fucked up.

"Christian. Who. Is. Hayley?" He now said each word separately and I could hear the anger in his voice.

I look up from the floor and see Ana standing in the living room. There were two entrances to it so she must have taken the one that was out of Jason's sight. She motioned for me to bring him inside and then mouthed the words 'we have to tell him.' She was right. There was no other way around this that the press would not have a field day with.

"It's not what it looks like Jason. Come in please and I'll explain it all."

He scoffs at me. "Come into the house your one night stand or submissive or dare I say whore lives in. I don't think so."

I grab him by his shirt and drag him inside and shove him against the wall then close the door. "I told you it's not like that! And don't you fucking dare call Ana any of those damn names!"

I let him go and step away from him once I realized what I yelled. I'm not a violent person, well not to Jason at least, and damn it I just said Ana's name. He probably thinks I'm crazy, I glance up at him and yep there it is that 'has he lost it' look. I run my hands through my hair and then stop when I feel **her** grab my hands. I look up and she is looking at Jason.

"Ana...how...what...you...alive?" Jason whispers the words while he picks up the end of her hair and examines it closely.

She nods. "I'm alive but you can't tell anyone Jason. Please. Come sit down and Christian and I will explain everything. Please." He nods and goes to sit in the living room. "Babe. This will be okay, I promise. And...I'll be there for you today, not the whole time but I'll sneak in somehow."

I smile and nod my head. I lock our fingers together and kiss her cheek. We walk hand in hand into the living room to tell my brother everything hoping that he will understand. After about two hours of playing question and answers the whole story is out there. I watched Jason's face carefully as Ana explained everything and he was shocked, confused, angry as hell at Elena like myself, and surprisingly understanding. He agreed to keep her secret and even help her with her working at GEH since she had experience **running** a business but not being an assistant to the one running it. It's not like I'd ask her to get my coffee, instead I'd probably call her into my office many times during the day just to hold her or kiss her or maybe lay her on my desk and ravish her body, so many possibilities.

As the time passed and it was now 10am Jason basically ordered me to get showered and dressed here and then we'd go straight to the church since the memorial started at 11. I reluctantly tore myself away from Ana and did as he said. After giving her a goodbye kiss which turned into a goodbye make out session we parted with her promising to make an appearance at her memorial service. I had no idea how she'd pull it off but I hoped like hell she would be able to. Since I had the car to myself I mentally prepared myself to play my part right. I wasn't prepared for how real all the emotions would be and how easy they'd come to me. I was mourning Ana...the Ana that I met and fell in love with when we were 16, I knew she'd come back to me but she'd be different a little bit. She'd still be Ana but she'd be stronger and would be more...grown up for lack of better words. I watched as everyone came in and gave their condolences. I had a spot next to Chris, Ray and a woman who I assume is Ana's mother who let the bastard beat Ana and rape her. I kept my mouth shut on that subject though.

We took our seats as the preacher began talking, he was reading a poem about the dash in between the dates on the headstone and how that dash represented how you lived your life. It was a good poem. Ray spoke next about when Ana was little and shared some memories of her but ended with the statement he was happy she was able to pass when she had everything she had wanted in life, unconditional love and family. Her mother chose not to say anything so did Chris, Elliot got up and said a few words then I stood up. I stood behind the same podium as yesterday and took a moment to prepare myself. I hadn't taken off my sunglasses but I could feel the tears that were falling. Sadness and pain were the emotions that came easy to me but I needed to find some strength to make it through my speech. I couldn't do it. I tried and tried to remind myself that she wasn't really dead but it wasn't registering, the pain was too much and I just-my thoughts stopped when I looked up and saw her sitting in the back of the church. She had walked in without a sound and was wearing black jeans, with a black button up shirt, with her sunglasses and a baseball hat. She smiled at me and I found the little bit of strength I needed.

"Yesterday I said the worst day of knowing someone, letting them in, and loving them was the day you lose them and it still holds true today. I've known pain and loss and all these emotions before in my life, I've felt them and thought that nothing could ever hurt me worse...I was wrong. I thought the day my biological mom died, the day my first and only dog died, the day Aiden died, the day Ana died...I thought nothing could hurt worse than the pain I felt those days but I was wrong. The one day that hurt the worst was the day I realized that I didn't just lose Ana, the love of my existence, but I lost all our plans and dreams of the future too. Marriage, family, the picket fence with the golden retriever, I never thought about that before Ana and after I met her I never saw that with anyone but her. We may had just found each other again before she..." I couldn't finish that sentence so I just cleared my throat and finished. "but I've loved her since I was 16. It was and always will be only Ana for me. I love you baby and I'll see you again someday." I kiss my hand and then lay it on the urn with her 'ashes'. I exit the church and get in my car. I find myself hitting the steering wheel so hard the car is shaking. I hear the phone beep and look at it.

_**From: Unknown  
It will always be you too babe. I love you. I'll be at the condo all day if you can sneak away. If not see you Monday. X**_

I hadn't noticed anyone followed me out of the church until I was done reading the message and heard the tap on my window. At first I was scared as hell that someone would question it all but then I calmed down when I saw it was Jason at my window. I rolled it down and he leaned on it and smiled a sad but somewhat happy smile.

"I know you need her." He nods towards the phone. "Go to her. I'll cover for you if anyone asks. See you tomorrow bro." He taps the hood of my car and walks back inside.

I waste no time in starting my car and driving to the condo. I leave the suit jacket in the car and walk to her door. I knock on it and wait semi-patiently. She opens it and looks at me surprised.

"Christian...I-"

I cut her off when I smash my lips to hers and take her in my arms. I pull back and she pulls me inside. Neither of us needs to say the words because we can tell by looking into each others eyes that we both need this. We need us.

_**Anastasia's POV**_

Today was Monday. My first day at GEH as Hayley Reynolds. To say I was nervous about this whole plan would be an understatement. I was a complete mess.

Christian had promised me at least a hundred times on Saturday that everything would be fine. He had to leave on Sunday because he still had the family lunch he had to go to just like every other Sunday then he was going to the office to get my desk ready and see to it personally that my email was set up. Only Christian would work on a Sunday. I parked my car in the parking garage and walked into the lobby.

It was still a little overwhelming and I could feel the panic attack coming. This whole situation was overwhelming but I couldn't have a panic attack, not here, not right now. Suddenly Jason was at my side and leading me to the elevator.

"Miss Reynolds. Mr. Grey has asked that I escort you upstairs and see that you get settled in. My name is Jason Taylor." He puts his hand out as we wait for the elevator and I know what part I have to play.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Taylor." I take his hand and shake it.

Once the doors slide shut he drops his act and gives me a small hug. I return it lightly and then we separate. The doors open again once we reach the top floor and I see Christian talking to Andrea. He's wearing that gray suit that looks like both heaven and hell on him. I meet his eyes only for a second before I thank Jason and walk to my desk. Christian turns around to greet me and I have to fight really hard not to smile or give away any indication that I know him already.

"Miss Reynolds. Christian Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you." He takes my hand and shakes it but also discreetly rubs his thumb across my knuckles.

"Likewise Mr. Grey."

"This is Andrea. She will help you get settled in and show you how everything works. If I should need anything I will call you or send you an email. Have a nice day." He turns and walks into his office after our eyes meet again for just a second again.

Once his door shuts the lobby is empty except for Andrea and I, the silence is a little awkward. I knew by coming to work here the one person who would be the hardest to trick would be Andrea. She had known Christian since he was 18, they went to Harvard together and then she came to work for him. On the days I had come to see Christian at work I would talk to her often. She knew how Christian was around me and I was worried maybe she would figure this out.

"Miss Reynolds why don't I show you the staff lounge?"

I nod and stand up. "Call me Hayley please."

"Hayley." She says the name but it sounds more like she's testing it out like you would test out a new car or something.

The staff lounge hadn't changed much from the first time Christian showed it to me. I watched as Andrea shut the door and then went over and turned on the water in the sink and the garbage disposal. It was quite odd and I was about to ask why she did it but then she turned around and by the look in her eyes I could tell she knew exactly who I was. Busted. That was the only word that came to my mind.

"They can't hear us now. I do have some things I need to throw out but we need to talk...Ana." She nods slightly towards the camera as she grabs a few Tupperware containers from the fridge.

"How did you know Andrea?"

She smiles a friendly smile at me. "He was always different with you. You could see it in his eyes but it's also the fact you two are like magnets. He moves, you move. Plus I've known him since college so I can tell from the way his shoulders relaxed and he let out a sigh when you stepped off the elevator."

I smile back at her. "I knew it'd be hard to fool you."

She chuckles lightly. "Ana, I want you to know you can trust me. I don't know why this is all going down and I don't need to be told really but I will keep this between us. Girl scouts honor. Now lets get back out there before Grey sends out a search party for you."

I didn't actually take her seriously but I quickly realized I should have when we get back to our desks and Christian looks like he's about to have a heart attack. She laughs and grabs some papers she says she needs to 'file' and leaves us alone in the lobby. He opens his office door and motions me inside. Once I hear the click of the door his arms around my waist and he's placing kisses on my neck.

"You. Are. So. Sexy." He says each word between kisses and I giggle and turn around so I can put my arms around his neck.

"Mr. Grey. What can I do for you?"

He wiggles his eyebrows and grinds his hips into mine. I moan softly and bite my lip when I feel how hard he is, at work...really? "You can help me take care of that but first tell me the truth. Andrea knows doesn't she?" I nod and he laughs. "I think the blonde is showing in her then because she grabbed blank papers when she went to go 'file'." He uses air quotes and we both laugh.

I told the truth now to give us both the release that we need. I slowly and teasingly clear off his desk before planting myself on top of it and cross my legs and lean back on my hands. "Mr. Grey. I believe you wanted to see me."

He growls and approaches me. "That I did baby."

He sits down in his chair and slowly runs his hands up my legs, pushing my skirt up, until he reaches my ass and then he pulls me off the desk and I land in his lap. He moves my thong aside and gently puts a finger inside me. His other hand is unzipping his zipper and then he pulls out the general. I lick my lips and he chuckles sexily.

"Later baby. This will have to be quick, I'm sorry. I want so bad to ravish you and I promise to later."

I nod and sink down on top of him. We both groan in pleasure once he's inside me where he fits so damn perfectly. I slowly start to ride him. He unbuttons my shirt only enough so that he can kiss and suck and bite my breasts which feels so damn good. He abandons that when I start to get too loud and shoves his tongue into my mouth. I start riding him faster and faster and he kisses me harder and harder. We both reach the top of the mountain and fall over together silently screaming into each others mouths. He pulls back and stands me up so we can put ourselves back together.

After sharing a few more quick kisses I go back to my desk and start my job. I log into the server and start to dig for the information I need. I hit dead in after dead in. The day passes and the more I dig the more I begin to uncover something I never thought could be possible. I know enough about computers to know someone has hacked into the server recently and gotten to the information I need, I assume it was from when Sam hacked in but I made it further than she ever did and the signs start to shock me. Everything about this could practically scream 'Aiden was here'...but that can't be possible. Yet for the second time in less than 4 days I find myself asking myself the question, can he still be alive? Once the clock reaches 4pm I decide to call it a day. I email Christian and he tells me to go and he will try to come over tonight after dinner.

I walk out of the office and into the parking lot. I reach my car but before I get in I look around me searching for...no that would mean I'm crazy. I have to stop this. Aiden is gone. He isn't coming back.

I drive home and keep repeating the words but damn it I could have sworn I could feel him watching me.

_**? POV**_

I put my hood up and slipped my sunglasses on again.

It was risky I knew that but...I had to see them.

I had to make sure they were safe.

I saw her walk to her car and then she surprised me. She looked around...for me. I knew what she was searching for and it made me feel like shit. I'd kept so much from her and from Christian but the secrets had started with Ana when we were in college. I never told her that I was planning to follow in my brothers footsteps. She knew I was a part-time college student but she didn't know what I did the rest of the time. I told her it was always basketball and that wasn't a lie, well it was a half lie. I do play basketball but I suck at it. I kept it a secret that I was going through training at NYPD to be an officer. I kept it a secret that I passed everything with flying colors and got my badge. I kept it a secret that I had transferred to the Seattle PD when we moved. I hid the fact that the first thing they asked me to do was an undercover assignment. I hid the fact that the assignment was to bring down Elena Lincoln because yeah the police knew what she was up to but could never find a damn shred of evidence. I knew her past with Christian and I knew his past with Elena through what she told me and I used that as my in.

"Damn it!"

I yell the words as I stop and kick the wall. I didn't want to keep it a secret from her. My family knew and fuck it took a lot of begging for me to convince Luke not to tell her. But this secret was not the one that I knew she'd have the hardest time dealing with, it would be the fact that I made her believe I was dead. That night I wanted to save her and Christian the pain, I wanted the way out and I thought of it. I took the bullets but instead of letting Grace go through with the normal plan I changed it when she came to 'examine me'. The bullets weren't deep and I was lucky she was able to take them out without anyone in the apartment knowing. I pretended to be dead and it only made things worse when I could hear Grace and Ana talking in the ambulance. Grace didn't allow Ana to follow where the EMT's wheeled me and I was thankful for that. Grace offered the EMT's a little cash if they would keep there mouths shut about me and they took it. Once the bed stopped I stood up, thanked her, and went about my new plan. I had to get the proof to put Elena away before Ana. I had to end this charade and fast so that they could be happy.

I had went to see Daniel, my partner at the station and told him everything. He gave me a place to stay and even helped me break into GEH so I could access the servers and get what I needed. I went to Linc and made a revision to my will at the last minute leaving Christian the first clue that I wasn't gone forever. I watched as my parents fought the department insisting that I get the proper send off for an officer but Daniel knew that in order to keep my secret that couldn't happen...finally they backed off. I watched as Christian gave his speech at the memorial and I watched as he went to Ana and Sam's. Sam had figured out days before that it was me who was always one step ahead of them. She was a smart girl I'll give her that. I never stopped watching out for them, in fact I had Elena running in circles. It was quite amusing.

I already had given Daniel the proof I had found and he was absolutely impressed and awaiting the day he would see Elena Lincoln in cuffs. Daniel had agreed to be our witness since he was one of Elena's victims, ironically it was at the same time she was with Christian and that was one thing I'd never let her live down. I had been sending her anonymous emails that I knew she had lied to Christian about being 'monogamous' when she was with him. That I knew she was still fucking Steve Morton and the latest one that she had flown him into town and hidden him out at some cabin so she could fuck his brains out. It was amusing to see her sweat about someone calling her out on everything and her not being able to find out who it was. The bitch deserved it.

"Aiden. I told you not to go you idiot! It was too risky!"

I was met at the door of Daniel's apartment by an upset Sam. She knew where I had gone and I knew she would have tried to stop me. "I had to see them. I saw them both walk in and then I was able to hack into the camera's. They look happy. I hate that I can't be there with them." I sit myself in the laz-e-boy and put my head in my hands.

"I know. But you're so close. You just need proof of her stalking Ana and you."

I nod. "I know. You want to know why I keep going to watch them Sam?"

"Why?"

I sigh and lean back. "The possibility hasn't registered to them yet." She tilts her head to the side as she sits on the floor and crosses her legs under her. She motions for me to continue so I do. "They had agreed the day I moved in, the Monday before the whole...shooting thing, that Ana would stop her birth control and he'd stop using condoms and if it happened then it happened. They asked me if one day I'd like to be Godfather and I accepted. I know them Sam and I know they fuck like bunnies and the possibility that she could get pregnant hasn't hit them yet. IF that does happen now..." I take a deep breath and finish my rant. "I'd reveal myself in an instant. I would tell them everything because that would put her in even more danger with Elena since the bitch has always wanted Christian's kid."

I look at Sam but she doesn't say anything for a while. Finally she gets up and puts her arms around my shoulders in a sisterly hug. "I know that. If that does happen then I'll be right there with you Aiden. I promise we will keep them safe. We will end this."

I nod once. I know she's right. I trust her. I just wish it could be over now. I wish I'd find the emails and security tapes from Ever After so I could pin the break in and the stalking on Elena.

Yet more than anything, I wanted my family back.


	14. Chapter XIII

All oacters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

This is a very important chapter and yes this is when Aiden comes back. Elena is also in this chapter and she gets a real surprise.

Read & Review please!

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

_**Anastasia's POV**_

2 weeks after I began working for Christian and still I haven't found a damn thing. Someone keeps beating me to the punch and I can't for the life of me figure out who. I've also kept my promise to help Leila out and she now has an apartment close to my condo and a job at Ever After working as the new PA for Jack Hyde who took Aiden's spot. Surprisingly she's also become a good friend and she lets me know where Elena is and what she's doing. Apparently she's been snooping around looking for who knows what. On a lighter note things are wonderful with Christian but things have also gotten complicated with Christian. I love him and I love spending time with him but his question he asked me yesterday was pushing the limits too far. We've gone out together and we've gone on business lunches/business trips and stuff together but now he wants me to accompany him to Carrick's birthday lunch tomorrow. I'm so caught up in my thoughts that I don't notice him crawl in the bed behind me.

"Mmm you are thinking too much baby." He places feather light kisses on my shoulder and up my neck so that I can now feel his breath on my ear. "It's Saturday and we have all day here by ourselves."

I roll over and arch an eyebrow at him. I had agreed to stay at Escala last night with him only if we would tell Gail the truth. He suggested Luke too but him being Aiden's brother and a close friend to me before all this happened I shook it off and decided it was safer for him if he stayed in the dark. Gail had taken it surprisingly well and her and Jason gave us our space. "Where did Gail and Jason go?"

He shrugs. "Out I guess. Mentioned something about a lunch date." He's trying to distract me by massaging my breasts and every other inch of my body with his hands. "Too much talking. I need you."

He rolls himself on top of me and grinds his hips into mine. I moan at the action and he smirks down at me. His hands are roaming everywhere and his lips are pressing kisses all the way from my ear to my jaw and back. His hands still at my hips and pull me tighter to him. I can feel his smile against my cheek as his fingers start to tickle me like crazy.

"CHRISTIAN!" I start laughing and can't stop. "Please...stop...please!" I get the words out in between laughs and he pulls his head away from my neck so I can see him smiling.

"Nope." He pops the p and keeps tickling me. "I love your laugh too much. Plus..." He leans in close to my ear again and his fingers still on my hips. "You know you like it."

I push him down on the bed next to me and crawl on top of him. "You SIR." I enunciate the word sir and feel his cock twitch beneath me. "are playful this morning. Why?"

He doesn't answer me, he just lays there smiling at me. Okay it's time for my revenge. I go to his waist and start tickling him with no mercy. He cries out for me to stop but I don't give in. Finally he answers me. "Because...you're...here! Please...stop baby!" I still my fingers and peck his lips lightly and get off of him.

"Well I think we should get dressed now. I still have to go to the condo and check on some things." I get off the bed and laugh when he pulls me back down and lays on top of me.

"Oh no. We are not done yet."

He doesn't bother with a warm up he just thrusts into me and then stops. I gasp at the move but grab his shoulders with a vice tight grip so that my nails are digging into his shoulders. He growls and grabs my wrists and holds them down on the bed above my head. His eyes are smoldering and dark with lust and love as he pounds into me very very hard. I love it. I can feel his grip on my wrists tightening and I know I'll probably have red marks later on but I can't seem to care with the way he's fucking me. Our moans fill the room and our bodies are covered in a thin layer of sweat and I can hear his balls slapping my ass each time he pounds himself into me.

"Oh...God...Oh..." I scream the words so loud that the walls were probably shaking as I reach my climax and come all over his dick.

"Baby...Fuckkk...Ohh..." He screams at the same time and then collapses on top of me.

We stay there for who knows how long just laying there with me stroking his hair and him murmuring how incredible that was. Neither of us has had the time to recover when we hear his front door open and close. He shrugs as do I figuring it was just Jason and Gail coming back. It wasn't until we heard the voice call his name that we realized how wrong we were.

"Christian?"

He nearly jumps off the bed and pulls on his jeans and looks down at me. "Stay here. I'll get rid of her."

He walks out of the room without pulling on a shirt and leaves the door cracked behind him. Naturally, as he probably knows, I don't stay on the bed. I pull on his shirt and walk over to the cracked door to listen to him.

"Mia. What are you doing here?"

"I was thinking we could go shopping and find a birthday gift for dad. Are you...do you have company?" I can hear the accusation in her voice and I can only picture what is shown on her face.

"Company? Why do you ask?"

"You have just fucked hair Christian. Are you dating someone?" I don't hear an answer from him. After a few minutes of what I can only imagine was a stare down between the two siblings I hear her exasperated sigh. "3 weeks Christian. It's been 3 weeks and you already have someone else in your bed."

"It's not like that Mia."

"You were ENGAGED Christian! Does she know that? Does she know she's probably just a rebound for the woman you were going to marry?" She keeps going on and on.

I'm ready to step out of the bedroom but then I stop remembering that I haven't taken out my contacts. I fell asleep last night with them in because I was too tired to bother with taking them out. This wouldn't be the first time she saw me as 'Hayley' because she has come to see Christian at work before and thank God she never put two and two together. Her next sentence makes my brain stop and makes me gasp.

"Is it Hayley?" She says the name like it's bordering on being a disease or something. "I've had my suspicions about your relationship ever since Elliot told me she was with you in New York for your business meeting. You never take Andrea with you so why her? Is she your new bed buddy?"

"Shut your mouth Mia." The anger in his voice is surprising. I've never heard him truly mad at Mia. "It is none of your damn business what I do in MY home and MY life. Go. NOW. I will see you tomorrow at dad's lunch WITH Hayley. And yeah mom and dad know I'm bringing her."

I hear the door slam and then Christian walks back into his room. Neither of us say anything we just hold each other. We knew after the surprise visit Elliot payed to Christian's hotel room while we were in New York that things would change. We knew that this siblings would immediately think the worst. We knew what we were getting into but we had told Carrick the truth. Grace already guessed long before that I was the new girl Christian hired.

"Ana. Nothing Mia says matters. We know the truth, my parents know the truth, it will be fine. I promise you Ana."

I shrug and turn away from him to start getting dressed. "Maybe I shouldn't go tomorrow. I wouldn't be able to be...me. It wouldn't be right."

He grabs my wrist lightly and turns me around. His hands cup my face and his eyes look straight into mine. "Carrick wants you there Ana. He wants you there any way he can have you there because you are like his daughter Ana. So whether you're Ana, Hayley, or Bigfoot...he wants you there. Lets get dressed and head to the condo. Maybe we could have dinner later at Zio's."

I smile as he mentions my favorite Italian restaurant and nod my head in agreement. We get dressed and prepare to leave Escala. After 10 minutes of arguing I manage to convince Christian that it would be smart for him to wear sunglasses and a baseball cap in order to not spur on more rumors of him bedding his new PA. He leaves a note for Jason and Luke telling them where he snuck off to, more or less. More in Jason's note and less in Luke's.

The ride to the condo is filled with laughter and flirty banter. The term it always gets really good before it gets really bad never crosses our minds once. This is a change from every other day because we have let down all our walls and decided to just feel. It's not until we are almost there that everything changes.

"Don't stop driving Ana." Christian's voice sounds panicked and curious.

"What's wrong Christian?"

"Someone is following you. Has been for a few blocks. Shit."

"Christian?" I'm getting worried now. He keeps looking from the side mirror to the cars around us and I can see his panic growing. He's radiating fear almost and I have no clue why. I look around and try to see what could have him so worked up but all I see are cars. I don't know if he recognizes any of them but I don't. Should I?

"Fuck fuck fuck!" He hits the dashboard and quickly types a number into his cell phone. He puts it up to his ear and urgently talks into it. "Luke! Get Jason, Reynolds, Prescott and anyone else you can, track my phone and follow us." He takes a break. "I don't fucking care what they're fucking doing! I'm being fucking trapped by ELENA and I have An...Hayley with me. This takes precedence over ANY OTHER SHIT!" Another break.

What does he mean he's being trapped? I look around again and it's only then that I realize the cars on both sides of mine aren't getting faster or slower they're keeping pace with me. Guiding me. Shit I get it now.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TRACK MY DAMN PHONE!?"

His voice snaps me out of my thoughts and when I look at him he's looking at his phone with a shocked look on his face. Damn it. If this is Elena she's one step ahead of us and has a big plan in store for us. "Christian. I can't lose them. Any of them. They're boxing me in and guiding me. I have no choice but to go where they let me unless we want to face the consequences."

He looks up at me and nods his head slowly. "I know baby. Something is blocking the cell phone signal. Shit I thought I prevented this."

Prevented? What the fuck? "Christian?" I know he hears the question in my voice. I look around and find that they are leading us further and further away from any place where people could hear anything that goes down.

He sighs and puts his head in his hands. "Elena has been sending threats. She has suspicions about you and said she knew things. She tried blackmail but I always countered back. She said something would happen but I never thought she'd do this. I mean fuck I know she's got unlimited resources and an ungodly amount of people working for her but THIS is too far Ana! She's out for blood and for the first time I don't know if it's mine, yours, or both of ours."

I sigh in frustration but I can't be angry at him. Yeah he hid it from me but it's not like I haven't hid shit from him concerning Elena in the past as well. I take one hand off the wheel and open the glove box hoping that Sam left the emergency pistol in there. Shit! No dice. I haven't spoken to her in weeks but I know she's been around because I've noticed her watching me and Christian outside of Grey House sometimes and once I even heard her in her room getting clothes and stuff when she thought I was asleep. She's been working with someone but I can't figure out who. It's the same person who is always one step ahead of me in getting the information I need to make Elena sweat. In no time at all we're stopping at some abandoned warehouse. The cars stop and I feel myself being drug out of my car.

"Get your hands off her you fucking asshole!" I hear Christian's screams but then they're muffled by something. I look and see that Elena is standing behind him and has put duct tape over his mouth and around his wrists.

"Let him GO Elena!" I threaten her and try to take a step forward but the man holding me doesn't let me go.

"Hmm. I don't think so...Anastasia." I gape at her and am at a loss for words. "Thought I didn't know hmm? How about we go inside and have a little chat?" She grabs Christian's arm and practically shoves him through the door and part of me wonder why he's not fighting her.

Once we get inside I'm shoved into a chair and the man holding me ties my wrists behind me with rope. I get a good look at him and he can't be more than 20 years old. I look to my left and see Christian being tied to a chair as well by another guy who looks to be in his early thirties. I watch Elena lock the door we came in through and as she rips the duct tape off Christian's mouth.

"Having your subs do your dirty work Elena? I never thought you'd stoop that low as to hide behind them."

She scoffs and runs her hand over his chest and I watch him flinch like he's in pain. "I'm full of surprises darling...or have you forgotten?"

He glares up at her and spits at her. "Get your fucking claws off me you BITCH!"

She slaps him and I struggle against the damn ropes. "Do not talk to me like that Christian. And Ana please calm down. We still have a mistake to fix."

"What are you talking about Elena?"

She turns to me and smiles. "I think you know seeing as you are still here and breathing the same air as my beloved Christian. You were supposed to die Ana and yet somehow here you are and here Christian is acting like a lovesick fool. Now we fix that problem and he watches knowing he can't do a damn thing!" She pulls the same gun that she had that night and point it right at my chest.

I close my eyes and prepare myself for the blow. Hell there's nothing I can do since she's far enough away I can't kick her and I don't have my arms free to hit her. I open them and look at Christian and mouth the words 'I love you. Always.' I can see him trying to think of something to do and I can hear him begging Elena to not do it.

BANG!

Silence. We are all silent when the door is kicked open and two people step inside. I only notice one immediately. The other is wearing a black hoodie with the hood up and sunglasses. Something about the way he's standing is very very familiar but...it can't be.

"Linc?"

Christian, Elena, and I all say the name at the same time.

"Elena. It's over. Let em go."

She's become like a statue now that he's here. He walks over to Christian and unties his hands and then unties mine. The man in the hoodie hasn't moved but now Elena has. She darts her hand out and grabs my arm and pulls me in front of her and shoves then gun into my back. Linc grabs Christian's arm and holds him back and now the man in the hoodie has moved. He's standing closer to us and is breathing very hard. Who is he?

"It's not over Linc. She has the life I'm supposed to live. She has the love I'm supposed to have! I'm supposed to be the one every one bends over backwards to save, the one they love but it's her! Christian loves HER! Grace and Carrick love HER! Hell even you love her, you're looking at her like she's your fucking daughter Linc!"

"Let Ana go Elena. If you let her go before the police get here the charges won't be as bad. They have already been to the house and the lake house. They're on your tail and it won't take them long to find this place. They already have enough to put you away for don't add to it please. As for the love issue Elena...I did love you. I loved you but you loved HIM! You loved little Christian Grey and not your own damn husband! You had multiple affairs behind my back, a child behind my back. YOU gave up on us Elena. YOU were the one who didn't see how much I loved you. YOU are the one at fault."

She doesn't let go. Her grip gets tighter and she presses the gun more into me and I wince at the pain.

"Drop the damn gun Elena Lincoln."

I gape at the man in the hoodie when I hear his voice. He has a gun out and it point it at her. I know that voice like I know Christian's voice. That voice was supposed to be gone. That voice was one I never thought I'd hear again. That was the voice of my best friend. "Aiden?"

He takes off his hood and his sunglasses. I gasp and he gives me a half smile. I hear Christian gasp too but I can't seem to look away from Aiden. "It's me Ana. I promise I'll explain everything." He turns back to Elena and his eyes go cold. "Last time was a warning Elena. Drop. The. Gun." He says each word with a threat behind it.

"Well well well. What do we have here? TWO people who can't seem to DIE when they're supposed to."

"Who might that be? It definitely wasn't my time nor Ana's when you shot us in cold blood. Now are we going to do this the hard way or the easy way. Come silently or make me take you down."

She laughs. "You aren't a cop anymore. You don't have authority."

Wait...what? Cop? Aiden? He was never a cop. I start to put random things together. He had a bulletproof vest. He had a registered gun. He sucked at basketball even though every morning he said he practiced. He was a part time student and he had unlimited resources at his disposal. Could he have been a cop and me not know it?

"I still have enough authority to take you down. If you don't lower your weapon I will be forced to shoot. Choose now Elena."

It's all quiet. A pen could drop and we'd hear it. I hear both guns click which probably means they're getting ready to fire. I hear the sirens of the cop cars outside. I see the looks in everyone's faces and it hits me. One person won't be walking out of here. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was terrified. I couldn't hear any of the yelling going on because it was blocked out by the sound of my heart beat in my ears. Christian was yelling, pleading. Linc was holding him back from the line of fire and yelling at who I had no clue. Aiden was still yelling threats. Elena was still yelling back at him. I closed my eyes for just a brief second and I heard it.

BANG!

Just one shot. That's all I heard but that's all it would take. I didn't feel any pain so I opened my eyes to find out who was on the receiving end. Who wouldn't be walking out. Elena. She was on the ground and Christian was next to me in a heartbeat. Aiden was right behind him and put an arm around both of us. I hadn't heard anyone else come in but then I see Jason kick the gun Elena had up to me away from her and hands Aiden back his. Wait, didn't Aiden shoot Elena?

"Aiden. Who-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because Jason cuts me off. "I couldn't let Aiden do it. Once you take a life it changes you. I've already taken plenty and honestly as long as you're okay Ana that's what matters. I was just doing my job. Linc was right though. It's over."

Those two words were far from true. It wasn't over. Not yet. Now we had to face the truth. Aiden and I would have to explain everything to everyone and the truth had to come out. We had to get back to our lives and the questioning about what happened here would just be the beginning.

"No Jason. It's just the beginning."


	15. Chapter XIV

All characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

Read & Review please!

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**Chapter XIV**

**_Christian__'s POV_**

Elena is dead.

Some would call me heartless because that fact actually makes me feel better. Some would say I'm justified and say what I'm feeling is perfectly acceptable given everything she's done to me and my family. Yet a part of me, the part of me that felt for her when I was that troubled 15 year old kid, can't help but feel for her. I don't miss her and I won't mourn her that is for certain. It was what she said before that made me finally snap everything into place, she wanted to be Ana. She just wanted someone to be the hearts and flowers person. She wanted a love like I have with Ana that spans decades and only intensifies. She wanted friends that would be as loyal to her as Aiden is to Ana. She didn't get it though. She didn't know that she had that with Linc all along but she pushed him away. It is for that reason and that one alone that I feel any sort of emotion towards her.

It's just the beginning.

Those four words that Ana spoke never rang more true. It was the beginning, the beginning of the rest of our lives. It wouldn't be easy but it would be worth it. We would have to tell our families the truth before they found out via social media. I called my parents hours ago and asked them to get everyone to the house and they assured me they would. I know that Luke, Ray, and Chris will take this the hardest. The phrase 'Lucy! You got some 'splainin to do!' is repeating itself through my head. We definitely will have some explaining to do and I can only hope Ray and Chris don't kill me for keeping this secret from them.

"Drink Christian. I'm sure they'll be done soon."

I take the coffee from Jason and sip at it while still staring at the door. It feels like ages ago Ana went in there with the detectives instead of just 3 hours ago. I knew that they were listening to her tell the story from the beginning to the end. Why she faked her death, how she pulled it off, who thought of the idea. If that wasn't enough they had accused her of 'attempting to steal from GEH' no matter how many times I tell them I told her to take what she needed they wouldn't listen to me. I finally called in my father and he went in with her about 2 hours ago. If anyone could make them drop whatever bull shit charges they wanted to file against her it would be my father. Aiden had refused help and said he was prepared to take whatever was dealt to him for hacking into GEH and Esclava.

"So how are you planning to break it to everyone? Gail sent me a text that everyone is at your parents waiting for you."

I turn to Jason and shrug my shoulders. "No clue. I mean I know we can't just go in and say 'surprise! Ana's not dead but never fear because I knew all along and kept it from every one of you.' I have no clue what we're going to say or do especially after Mia's outburst this morning."

He winces and sips on his coffee. "Yeah I heard from Luke it was pretty...vocal. Luke was retracing your steps after the phone dropped your call and he heard what she said. I don't think she meant it though. She misses Ana and I think she was just upset that she thought you were moving on too fast. Once the truth comes out I think she'll regret jumping to conclusions. You know Mia."

I nod. "Yeah probably. I just...I don't want Ray, Chris, and Luke to hate me. I mean Aiden is Luke's brother and granted I didn't know he was alive I knew Ana was and Ana was like a sister to Luke. On that note Chris IS Ana's brother and Ray is her dad and I knew she was alive and where she was and I kept it from them. They'll hate me."

"No they won't. They'll understand brother. They'll know why you did it. Just promise me something?"

's been

"What?"

"After all this shit is settled MARRY THE GIRL! God knows we need something good to come out of all this."

I laugh. "I promise. I plan on doing that anyway. I want Aiden there though so we'll have to see how his shit works out."

I really need to learn that karma has a really bad sense of humor. I watched the doors open and my heart beat faster than normal. Ana walked straight to me and I was relieved when she told me that no charges would be filed against her thanks in large parts to my dad. I would have to remember to thank him even if I spent the rest of my life greeting him with a thank you every time I spoke to or saw him. I noticed that Aiden was not as lucky. He was standing with handcuffs on and my dad was talking to the detective and the police officer standing behind him. He walked up to me and Ana a few seconds later and tried to avoid eye contact.

"What's going on Aiden?"

He looked at me and seemed to be considering how to answer. "Well Christian. We may live in an awesome country but contrary to popular belief it is still illegal to break into a salon owned by an overly botoxed bitch troll and hack into servers that I don't own even if you did have the best of intentions behind it. On a good note, they gave me a pat on the back and were glad to see I wasn't dead and after I serve my time I will be able to get my badge back."

He ended it with a smirk and a strained laugh. Only Aiden would use humor to try to diffuse a situation like this. I couldn't help but chuckle at him and shake my head from side to side. "Only you would find the silver lining in all this Aid. How long?"

He shrugs. "A year at the most...7 months at the least. That's if I don't make bail. Your dad is over there now listing the reasons that prove I won't run once I make bail."

"I'll pay it."

"I don't think so Mr. Money bags CEO. The only thing you will do is take Ana home and have fun trying to make babies doing the horizontal tango for two." He winks at me and wiggles his eyebrows.

I roll my eyes and shove his shoulder lightly. "I see that even dead, or well fake dead, you still can't lose your sense of humor."

"Or my charm, my wit, my style, and my ability to put up with the two of you who I am very surprised Escala is still standing with how loud you two make each other scream."

This time Ana shoves him and he just laughs and sticks his tongue out at her. In this moment it feels like nothing has changed, that they were never gone and none of us were ever separated. We're a family again.

"You're just jealous Aiden."

"Oh yes Ana. I am so jealous that you get to tuck yourself into bed next to Christian every night while I am all alone. Please please please! Switch places with me. I beg of you!"

I laugh at the heavy sarcasm in his voice and the fact that he managed a straight face until he said I beg of you. This time I shove him and wrap my arms around Ana's waist. "A bed with you Aiden. Oh I think my nightmares would come back if that happened."

I crinkle my face in mock horror and then we all double over laughing. It's at that moment my dad and Jason join us again. I had noticed them watching our interaction from afar for a few minutes. I see the smile on my dads face as he stands next to Ana and myself.

"I'm glad to see that smile back on my sons face. It seems I have you two to thank for that. I'm happy as well to see the both of you. Aiden, I have convinced detective Barnes to let me at your bail hearing tomorrow so I can make sure it's granted. I don't want to hear you tell me that it's not necessary because it definitely is...you're family. We protect our family." He turns to Ana and myself and continues talking. "Speaking of family we have a lot of people waiting at our house to see whether you made it out alive Christian. Unfortunately it's already leaked to the media that you were more or less kidnapped by Elena and that she is now dead. What hasn't linked is that Ana is alive, you should thank Andrea for that. She has done a great job at threatening anyone who leaks that out before they have a statement from both you and Ana."

I nod. "I'll give her a month off. God knows she deserves it. I guess it is time to come clean though. Are you ready to go home baby?"

Ana nods and we say our goodbyes to Aiden, in which case we don't really say goodbye just see you later. I don't think the word goodbye will come up in any conversation we three have from now on because we know exactly just how much weight that one word can carry. It's not a cross we want to bear. We ride home with my dad and decide to get Ana's car tomorrow. Jason is following us in the SUV. The car is silent and no one dares to break the silence to talk about the elephant in the car. I have no idea really how to even begin to break this news to my family or Ana's. It would by far be easier if she were pregnant then I'd know what the reactions would be, they'd all be ecstatic. Seeing as they don't even know she's alive though that would be impossible to them. Hell they will probably want to have me committed if I walk in there and say 'hey! Ana's alive!' Well everyone except for my mom and dad. I know it's not a long drive from the police station to Bellevue but now it seems even shorter. We pull up outside and stare at the door through the front windshield. My dad gets out first and walks in the door with only a smile over his shoulder and an encouraging nod.

"Maybe I should go in first baby."

She nods once. "Yeah. I think that would be best. I just...I don't want them to hate me."

"Why would they hate you Ana? That's ridiculous."

"I hurt you. I kept this all a secret from them. I pretended to be someone I wasn't. I've done so many things to hurt so many people. I can't take any of that back."

"They'll understand." I reassure her and put my index finger under her chin when she looks at the floor of the car. I pull her head up so I can look in her gorgeous eyes and I give her a reassuring smile. Those beautiful blue eyes that are now shining with love for me and for both our families. "It's like my father said you are family Ana. We protect our family. You did this to protect me and to protect them. They will understand."

"I hope you're right. I'll wait out in the entry way."

We both get out of the car and I take her hand firmly in mine. I open the front door and immediately hear my father telling them that yes Elena had me but I wasn't alone. He doesn't tell them who was there with me even though they ask he just tells them that I have to tell him that myself. Ana pulls her hand out of mine and motions for me to walk forward so I do but I don't enter the room completely, I stay where I can see Ana at all times. Mia is the first to run at me and grab me around the waist thanking God I'm okay. I sit her back down and clear my throat.

"Ahem. I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to blurt it out and hope that none of you think I'm insane." I pause as I see Chris and Elliot looking at me like they want to commit me already. "Ana is alive."

All hell breaks loose. Everyone except my mom, dad, and Ray start shouting question after question at me. Am I delusional? Have I brought the movie the sixth sense to life by seeing dead people? Have I really convinced myself that because I loved someone and hated being abandoned that I could seriously just ignore the fact that Ana was shot? Not one of them asks how or why. Not one of them ever even questions that I might be telling the truth. Except for when Ray talks.

"I knew it. Ana was Hayley wasn't she Christian?" I look at him and I can see it in his eyes. He knew. He figured it out before I said the words. "You all know the magazine leaked a picture of them in New York. It was Ana I could tell. The way she walked, the way they looked at each other, you don't find love like that with ANYONE other than your soul mate. Where is she Christian?"

I hold my hand out towards Ana and nod encouragingly when she hesitates to take it. With our hands firmly interlocked she comes into the room and faces our families. Ray comes and hugs her while stroking her head whispering that he didn't need to know why or how but that he's just happy she's alive and that she had me by her side the whole time. He was happy she had told me? I wasn't expecting that.

Mia was the next one to approach Ana. I was wary of her reaction to this only because I knew they were very close. When we were 16 they had connected fast and deep. The time apart did nothing to lessen that connection. They were still as close as ever even when Mia was distant with me she never was with Ana. They had no secrets between each other, except this one. Mia looked into her eyes for a minute trying to decipher if this was real. Then she did the one thing I never thought she'd do. She slapped Ana.

"How could you?" I was prepared to step forward but Ana took her hand out of mine and held it up to stop me and anyone else from interfering. Mia doesn't stop her rant. She hits Ana's shoulders over and over and Ana does nothing to stop her. "How could you keep this from me? How could you put Christian through that for even a day? Do you know what it's been like to lose you? Ana..." Finally after minutes she stops and falls into Ana's embrace and is sobbing. "I missed you. I'm sorry for hitting you. I'm sorry."

Ana shushes her and rubs her back. "I'm sorry Mia. I know I hurt you and I'm sorry. Want to know a silver lining though?" Mia wipes her eyes and nods her head slowly. "Christian and I were engaged before and still are now. I'll need help planning-"

"OH MY GOD! I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS!" Mia jumps back and I can just see as she mentally starts making a list in her head. "I have to go write all this down. OH! I'm happy you're here Ana." She kisses her cheek and then walks to the kitchen to get paper and a pen.

The room is silent other than laughter from my parents, Ray, and Elliot. Elliot just walks up and wraps her in a bear hug and spins her around saying he's happy she's here and he missed her. Kate is the next to hug her and follows Mia's response with the engagement and goes off to help my sister plan probably a much bigger and flashy wedding that Ana would want. Chris is the only one left who hasn't said anything. Elliot has already called my parents out on knowing and my mom admits her part in it and my dad says he found out after New York but wasn't really surprised. I think he always had an idea. Ana starts explaining the story, I think to get a reaction out of her brother, but I have a bad feeling about this that I can't shake.

"I had to do it. She was after Christian, his business, me. I had to protect him. I had to take her down and make it safe for him. I thought I was doing the right thing. I wanted to tell you all but then she wouldn't have believed it and she needed to believe it. The emotions had to be real so that it would work. I'm so sorry. I know I can't take it back but I wish I could."

Finally Chris talks and I know that I had a bad feeling for a reason.

"You did this for him. You did none of this for me, or Ray, or for anyone but him. Everything you've done in the past has been for him. You opened up about Steve for HIM. You made Ever After because HE believed you could. After 10 years and know he was a dominant you went back to him like nothing happened. I'm sorry I don't mean to sound rude or anything but you did this for him. You took that bullet for him and you faked your death for him. I know that you're sorry Ana, I really do. I just...I don't think I can accept it yet. I've always been in your corner and I've forgiven you for a lot Ana even pulling away from me for years except for the occasional email. This though, I don't think I can do this yet. I'm sorry."

I watch as he gets up and walks out the front door without looking back. Ana falls apart and it's all I can do to take her in my arms and try my best to comfort her. After she's stopped crying and we've had dinner I ask her if she wants me to take her home so she can rest and get some sleep after our long day. She agrees with a quiet nod and I'm actually worried because she hasn't talked since Chris left. I call Jason to tell him we're coming out to the SUV but he says he had to go back to Escala but that Luke dropped my car at my parents so I can drive home. The ride to Escala is once again silent. I hate it. Ana just stares out the window and she looks so sad.

"Chris will come around baby."

"He's right. Everything I do, I do it for you Christian. It's not just that though."

"What's wrong Ana? You can talk to me." I plead with her as we are at one of the stop lights after exiting the freeway.

"I don't feel bad about it. I don't feel like it's wrong. I should though. I honestly don't see it as wrong because of what you and your dad said, you are my family Christian. I will always protect you because you are a part of me. Is that wrong?"

I see her look at me as I drive down the dark streets toward our ivory tower. I think about my answer very carefully before I answer her. Part of me wants to say yes it is wrong because I know where Chris is coming from. Part of me also wants to tell her no it's not wrong because I would do the same thing for her. If it came down to choosing between Elliot and Mia or Ana, I know who I'd choose in the end. It would be a hard choice and not one I'd make willingly but the more I think about it the more I realize I could live without Elliot and Mia. That sounds horrible but I could if I really really REALLY had to. I could never live without Ana though. She is more a part of me than my own heart, hell she IS my heart. She is the reason it beats and the reason I wake up in the morning. I answer her question with that in mind.

"No baby. I don't think it's wrong because I'd do the same thing if it came down to it. I know it would be hard and Elliot and Mia would be pissed off for a long time but they'd come to understand. I have all the faith in the world that Chris will also come to understand Ana. Now, how about we go upstairs and go home?"

She smiles and kisses my lips lightly. "Let's go home babe."

I get out and go open her door for her. I grab her hand but she removes it and puts her arm around my waist and I put mine around her shoulder. Once we get in the elevator and I type in the number for the penthouse I pull her into my arms completely and kiss her like there is no tomorrow. I kiss her like my life depends on it because it does. Our tongues collide and our teeth clash. Her hands feel so good running through my hair and her body feels so damn warm and nice pressed up against mine. This is how it should always be. Sooner than I would have liked the elevator opens and we pull apart from each other reluctantly as we step into the lobby. I open the front door and watch as she walks in and stops dead in her tracks.

My mouth drops as I look at the candle lit apartment with slow piano music playing from the speakers. I walk over to the breakfast bar where I see a note and I pick it up and read it.

_Christian and Ana,  
It's wonderful to have you home but the three of us know you need your time with each other. Luke understands and he can't wait to spend time with Ana but he knows you both need each other. Take this as a welcome home gift from the three of us. There is chocolate cake on the counter next to the oven for desert. You've been together for weeks we know but now we give you this night to be with each other without having anything between you. No secrets. No security guys. No housekeeper. Just you two. We love you both and we will be back tomorrow morning.  
Love,  
Gail, Jason, and Luke  
PS: Jason told me to tell you that in case your fretting we are only staying in the spare apartments downstairs that you own as well. Have a good evening._

I laugh as I hand the note to Ana and watch as she reads it. This is why Jason went home instead of to my parents. Who knew the three of them would do this? Ana laughs and sets the note back on the bar and then looks at me with those come hither eyes.

"Well Mr. Grey. It seems we have the entire place to ourselves and like they said no secrets. Prepare to scream." She whispers the last word in my ear and then nibbles my earlobe and traces it with her tongue before she pulls back.

I watch as she turns away and starts stripping layer after layer of clothes off her body until she is naked and in our bedroom. She is clearly a girl who likes to be chased and who am I to not give her what she wants? I strip down and follow her into our room and close the door ready to lose myself in her for the rest of the night and deal with the real world tomorrow.

Tonight I just need Ana.


	16. Chapter XV

All characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.

Read & Review please!

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**Chapter XV**

**_Aiden__'s POV_**

I'm crazy.

Yep. Simple. I am fucking insane.

Why, why didn't I take Carrick's offer to get me out of this? Oh yes I remember now because I wanted to handle my own shit and not take the easy way out. Damn me for wanting to be responsible. I curse myself as I listen to these fuckers argue about who can beat down who. Does it honestly really matter? I really don't think so nor do I really fucking care.

"Phone call." I voice the two words and everyone looks at me like I just became visible. "I get a phone call and I want it now. Do I need to repeat myself?"

"Calm your jets Sawyer. Come on."

I follow the officer out to the phones and think about who to call. Christian, no he's probably busy fucking Ana well into tomorrow well that and I really don't want his 'I told you so' shit. Carrick, hmm no, I already owe him and Grace a lot and I don't want to add to it. Jason, maybe but he'd probably bring Christian or Carrick with him so that's a no. So I settle for calling my big bro. I dial his cell number and wait for him to answer.

"**Hello?"**

"Luke. How's it hanging brother?"

"**Aiden. I was just betting Carrick how long you'd actually last before you called me. Is it that bad in the big house already?"**

I could practically see him smirking and holding in his uncontrollable laughter. I wanted nothing more than to punch that smirk off his face. "Do I need to answer that? Just come and get me already."

"**Already on it Aiden. Do you really think I'd let you sit there for long? I'm finishing up the paperwork as we speak. Which by the way you owe Carrick for finding the loophole and paying a small bond for you."**

"You let Mr. I-know-the-law-better-than-anyone Grey pay my bond! Luke!" Damn it. I really didn't want him to do that. I know I couldn't stop him, he always told me I was like a son to him because I'm Christian's best friend, but I didn't want to feel like I owe him more than I already do. Which now in this moment I do.

"**I had no choice. A) I didn't have enough to even cover half. B) I called him to help me find the loophole to get your ass out. C) He offered but gave up when I told him I'd find a way to come up with the money. D) When I said that Grace got that puppy dog/mother hen look and shit who can tell that woman no!"**

I laugh at the last sentence. Grace. No one could tell that woman no, especially when she played the mother card with those puppy dog eyes. I can't really blame him. "Okay. I get it. My times up so I guess I'll see you soon. Thanks Luke. I-"

"**I know little brother. You love me. Don't say it though. Keep up that manly image while you still got a chance."**

I roll my eyes at his little joke. "Ha ha. You aren't funny."

We say goodbye and we both hang up and I'm escorted back to my holding cell. They're still looking at me as I sit down and all of a sudden I feel like I have a target on my back. They must have heard me say Grey and now I'm fucked.

"You know the Grey family?" One of the fuckers asks in disbelief confirming my suspicions.

I nod once. "Yeah, so what?"

He laughs. "Don't believe you. If you did you wouldn't be here."

I shrug. "How would you know? They could be bailing me out right now."

"Doubt it."

"Sawyer! You posted!" Hm, that was fast. Ask and it shall be delivered fast.

I stand up as they unlock the door and then still when I hear the next voice. "Aiden!" I turn around and see none other than Grace Grey walking towards me with Carrick and Luke standing dutifully behind her. She reaches me and pulls me to her chest while kissing the top of my hair. If it wasn't embarrassing before it sure as fuck is now. One would actually think I'm her son with the way she's acting. "Sweet boy. Sweet darling boy." She walks with me to the desk as I collect my wallet, cell phone, and key chain I had with me when I was booked. As we're walking away I hear the fucker whisper 'Damn he does know the Grey family. Lucky bastard.'

I smile when I greet Carrick with a handshake that he turns into a one armed hug. Luke wastes no time in grabbing my shoulders and pulling me to him so fast I think I have whiplash. He also follows it up with an 'if you ever do anything that stupid again I swear I'll let you sit there' threat. I wasn't surprised when Luke told me he rode with the Grey's to the station from their house. No doubt Grace probably did her mother hen thing again and made him crumble. I was shocked to hear how everyone reacted to the news of Ana. Ray knew which wasn't a surprise, not much got past that man. Elliot was happy to know she lived as was Kate which threw me for a loop because the last I knew Elliot was not on speaking terms with Christian and barely with Ana. Chris had walked out after calling her selfish and saying some shit like he couldn't forgive her which set my blood boiling and made me see red, yep I'd be paying him a visit before heading home to Escala. Mia, who also wasn't on good terms with Christian but on okay terms with Ana but it was still a surprise to hear she was there, ended up taking the news hard and then did a complete 180 and declared herself wedding planner. What the hell went on in this house! Did we enter the twilight zone, seriously? The car stops and I'm inside before I know it and find all the people I wanted to talk to right now sitting in the living room watching TV. I grab the remote and turn it off as they all look at me in shock.

"Are you people fucking serious?!" I stare at them waiting for an answer or at least for them to pick up there fucking jaws up off the floor.

"Aiden?"

I wave a hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah I'm alive. Big shock after today huh? Look it's late and I want to go home so I'll make this a quick chat. You two-" I pause and point at Elliot and Mia. "-ignore Christian for ten years because of some damn mistake he made when he was younger that he now regrets then all of a sudden show up after his fiancee dies? What the hell is that? Hell you even have the balls to act like nothing ever happened and you were as close as ever when really you're not. I bet you couldn't even tell me his favorite book?" I pause again but they don't say anything. "Movie?" I offer up again and then laugh a hard unamused laugh as I run a hand through my hair. "How about song? That's an easy one." Crickets. You could actually hear the crickets in their brains! Seriously! "Book is The Hobbit. Movie is National Treasure, which is a little odd but it's a great movie so I don't blame him. Song is The Scientist by Coldplay, which is fairly easy since he listens to it ALL THE DAMN TIME! For a little more information about YOUR brother his favorite food is mac and cheese and his favorite color is green. Did you know that?"

"I knew the mac and chesse thing."

I applaud Mia and give her a sarcastic smile. "Way to go. You knew one thing about your brother where as I knew a hell of a lot more. That is saying something considering you've known him for a hell of a lot longer than I have. Oh and as far as this wedding planning tell me Mia do they want inside or outside?"

She gets a little defiant look on her face and it kind of reminds me of how Christian gets when he's being the megalomaniac CEO. "Inside."

I make a buzzer sound. "Wrong, they both have always wanted an outside wedding. Roses, red or white?"

"Red." She hesitated a little bit but still sounded a little certain of her answer.

Another buzzer sound. "Trick question, it's both red and white. Last question. Band or DJ?"

"Band?" This time she says it more like a question.

Buzzer sound again. "DJ. This is their wedding Mia not yours. Despite Christian's wealth and the fact that he lives in a fucking penthouse he is really a simple person and so is Ana. Neither really likes attention and they really aren't materialistic at all. They wouldn't care if they spend $10,000 on the wedding or $10 as long as they get married to each other. Look I don't mean to sound like an ass but they are my best friends and right now you both are acting like you did nothing wrong. You turned your back on your own brother when he needed you. He made a mistake with Elena and he regrets it now, he gets that it was wrong and he wishes he could take it back but he can't. He lost Ana but he didn't deserve to lose you two as well. Did you know that Ana came back that March?" They shake their heads and I can see the regret in their eyes they have for pushing their brother away. "Did you know she never stopped watching out for him? That she Googled him every night just to see what the stupid sites had to say about his life because she was too hurt and scared of being hurt again to pick up the phone?" Another head shake. "Did you know that after Elena when Christian became a dominant, and yeah I know you both know from the look on your face, that every girl that became a submissive for him had a part of Ana? The hair, the eyes, the legs, the ass, the tits, but none of them could replace Ana and he knew that. He loves her. He was always looking for her. He just wanted her and now that he has her did you know he gave it up." Their eyes widen and I see the shock in them. "He doesn't need it, he never did. He doesn't need the control. He doesn't need to be a dominant. He doesn't want her as his submissive. He gave it up because all this time all he's wanted and needed is Ana. Yes he may have gone to Elena when Ana left but he was hurt, broken, and he didn't want to make decisions for himself because no decision he could ever make would turn back time and make Ana come back to him. You can take this however you want, you can think I'm bitching at you and that I have no right to but right now from where I stand it seems like you don't know your brother as well as you think you do and maybe before you start jumping them about planning a wedding I'd take some time to just get to know him. Hell get to know Ana too. Get to know them as a couple and actually be a family. On that note I really have missed my best friends so I think I'll head home and call it a night." I turn on my heel and see Carrick, Grace, and Luke sitting on the couch. I tell Grace and Carrick good night and assure them I'll be at his birthday thing tomorrow and then grab Luke and we head out.

Instead of heading home there is one place I need to go first. I need to go see Chris because I know that over the years Ana has missed her brother and she needs him to understand. So that's where I come in, best friend/brother, it's time for me to talk to Chris and make him realize just how unselfish Ana is and how much she really does need him and how much she was protecting him just as much as she was Christian. Luke pulls up outside the apartments but I tell him to keep the car running because this won't take long. I walked the short way to the apartment I've only ever been to once and knocked on the door.

To say he was surprised to see me would be a lie by the look on his face. "Aiden Sawyer. I'm not surprised. You faked your death for the CEO billionaire as well huh?" Damn this was worse than I thought. I could smell the liquor on his breath and he never was a heavy drinker.

"I did it for the people I care about. Not just Christian. I know it's late and I won't keep you long but can I please come in and talk with you?"

He shrugs and turns around leaving me to enter and shut the door behind me. I sighed when I saw the empty whiskey bottles but sat down and started trying to talk to him. "Chris. Christian isn't the problem is he?"

He shakes his head. "No, not really. I get why she did it she loves him but-"

"You had just got her back." I say the words sympathetically because now I understand. Before I had seen red when I heard his reaction but showing up here and seeing him in this state he was just hurt. He was just a man who had spent years with his sister pushing him away then he got her back only to lose her again and then find out she wasn't really gone and her previously estranged now not estranged boyfriend/fiancee knew all along. It would be hard on anyone.

"I didn't mean what I told her. I was just...upset. She could have trusted me. She could have come to me for help. I'm her big brother that's what I'm supposed to do...protect her. I know she's not selfish but I feel like I'm losing her again."

"You're not losing her. She's still here and she still needs you. She just...she needs Christian too. I think you know that."

He nods sadly. "Yeah. Fuck he needs her too. I still remember when I saw him after he started Harvard and had this...mental breakdown or some shit."

This piqued my interests. "What do you mean?"

"I had gotten this email of some pictures of him fucking that older blonde ugly as fuck woman that was his mothers friend and put two and two together and figured that was why Ana left him. She was so sad that I just wanted to help but I also wanted to kick his ass for hurting her but I wanted to also see if I could fix it."

"Protect her." I interrupt him and he nods.

"Yes. Protect her, put her back together, something. I went to his dorm looking for answers and maybe I shouldn't have yelled at him but he knelt in front of me like some dog in training or something. Nothing I said was getting through to him and then that Jason guy showed up and somehow got through to him. I never got the truth but then I guess I wasn't meant to because they seemed to have worked through their problems anyway."

Holy shit. Christian went all submissive on Chris. He really didn't deal well with losing Ana. He really did mentally break if he was willing to have anyone be his Dom. "Fate...life...it has a funny way of working things out. Chris, look I know that Ana needs you and I know she's probably over thinking every thing you said and she may not be taking it well or maybe Christian's helped her but...please don't leave it the way you two did. Please. I'm asking as her best friend please try to talk to her."

"I will. I'll talk to her tomorrow at Carrick's lunch birthday thing." I nod and make my way to his door. I reach for the knob and then he talks again. "Do you know what Carrick wants for his birthday?"

I laugh a little bit and turn around to see a small smile on his face. "I think having his whole family there will be enough for him but he loves a good mystery book or country CD."

"Thanks Aiden. For everything."

"No problem. It's a difficult job but someones got to do it."

I leave his apartment with both of us laughing and I feel a little better knowing he's going to make things right with Ana tomorrow. Now I can go home. Finally. Nothing sounds better than going home and trying to get back to normal. Whatever normal is these days. I go into the elevator after Luke tells me he's staying in one of the downstairs apartments and he'll see me tomorrow. I type the number in for the penthouse partly surprised it hasn't changed but thanking my lucky stars it hasn't. I didn't know how exhausted I was until I leaned back against the back wall and waited as it slowly climbed the floors. Damn I could sleep here.

10.

13.

15.

Finally! The doors open and I step into the foyer which hasn't changed much and I'm not surprised by the memories that overload my brain. The last one being the last time I stepped out of that elevator. I have to shake my head and remind myself that this time no psycho blonde bitch is going to shoot me. The front door to the apartment itself is locked but aha! I know where the spare key is and get the door unlocked.

Are they idiots? Really?

I spot the candles which are lit but I find neither of them anywhere close. I turn on the lights in the living room and walk around the kitchen and living room blowing out candles as I go. I saw the note from Jason, Gail, and Luke and instantly knew my earlier suspicion was right. They are probably fucking like bunnies or now passed out from fucking like bunnies. I shake my head and tsk them as I see their clothes all over the hallway. I also pick them up for them, that's what they get for having a best friend who is also slightly OCD. Their bedroom door is cracked open and I set the clothes inside on top of the dresser. I also turn off the light as it's still on and quite bright. Lucky for me they're covered by the sheets so I won't have nightmares. I leave the room quietly or try to before I am stopped by a quiet voice that sounds like a mouse almost.

"You're home Aiden?"

I see Ana sitting up and I see now she's wearing one of Christian's t-shirts. "Yeah. Luke, Carrick, and Grace came and got me. Go back to sleep Ana. We all need it."

"You'll be here in the morning right? This isn't a dream?"

I shake my head and kiss her forehead. "You and Christian can't get rid of me that easy. I'm like titanium." She laughs and I laugh with her. "I'll be here in the morning. Go to sleep now Ana."

She lays back down and I watch as she goes back to sleep. I hadn't realized I fell asleep in the chair next to the bed until I'm shaken awake.

"Go to your room Aid."

I blink my eyes and see Christian sitting on the bed in front of me next to a sleeping Ana. "I fell asleep?"

"Yeah. After Ana went back to sleep. Only about 15 minutes. I tried to wake you up earlier but you sleep like the dead."

I laugh. "Don't tell her that. She'll freak."

He frowns but tries to smile. "Yeah. She was shocked to learn you were alive, hell so was I. Why did you do it Aid?"

"It was the window I was looking for. I wanted to take Elena down and keep you both from getting hurt but I didn't want to separate the two of you. I've seen you separate before and it doesn't work. I also knew that Elena wasn't as stupid as we all thought and I figured if I changed the plan and made it look like I died for real I could keep her off Ana's trail. It worked for a while too and Leila and Sam were a big help but I still knew Ana was looking for the dirt on Elena. I watched you guys you know."

"I know. I figured it out when I kept seeing a guy in a black hoodie in the GEH parking garage but I had no idea it was you. I didn't call the cops because you never made a move against anyone it's more like you were standing watch or something so I let it go. Maybe I'm mellowing in old age." We both laugh and then he asks me another question. "How did Leila help you?"

I smile a small smile at him and answer him. "She played Elena like a fiddle. Used her daughter card against her. I really got to know her the past couple of weeks, she's nice. I can see why you got along with her. She's nice, and she has a dry sense of humor that some people wouldn't usually understand."

I stop talking when he's looking at me funny. Skeptical almost. "You like Leila." He is grinning like a kid on Christmas and I can only picture what he's thinking.

"No." I try to say it with all the truth I can manage but the truth is I don't know if I like her or not. I mean I know who I am, what kinds of people I'm attracted to but Leila is different. If anyone, any girl, could catch my eye and make me want to change my life choices it'd be her.

"You do. I can tell. Have you...have you thought that maybe you like both? I mean people can like both chocolate and strawberry ice cream why can't they like both girls and guys. It happens right?"

I think about it. It does happen. I can't say I know much about as a girl has never attracted me before it's mostly been guys. I mean even guys subbed for me...it's all I know. Yet there is also this connection with Leila that..."I'll think about it alright Christian. I'm going to bed. See you two tomorrow. NIGHT!"

I yell the last word as I'm already out the door. He's laughing behind me but I can't blame him. I walk to my room and plop down on the bed with a million thoughts running through my head. Is it possible what he said is true? How have I never considered it before? There's never been a girl like Leila in my life before, not even Ana makes me feel like Leila does when she smiles. It's almost like a butterfly in my stomach feeling. I shake my head and throw my pillow on top of my head.

This is too deep for tonight. I'll think about it tomorrow.


End file.
